ABSTRACT
The laser is now a commonplace tool on the factory floor as it is also commonplace in the medical operating room and in scientific instrumentation. Industrial applications center upon material processing. Here one is optically manipulating a beam of infrared light which allows welding or drilling or cutting applications in any normal situation as well as in inert or sterile environments. The beam can be focused to micron-size to allow work nearby to heat sensitive matter. The beam can be optically manipulated to reach into difficult geometries. Machining operations can be optically positioned to within high accuracies. These special characteristics offset the additional costs, and they make laser material processing economically viable.
