History of Laser welding

How laser was born ? This emitted light has revolutionized many industrial sectors : electronic, optic or industry.

1917 : the principle of laser and maser is described by Albert Einstein.

1950 : Alfred Kastler, Nobel Prize for Physics 1966, proposed the method of optical pumping, experimentally confirmed, two years later, by Brossel and Winter.

1958 : the first ammoniac gas maser is designed by Mr Gordon, Charles H. H.Townes and J. Zeiger.

1958-1964 : Townes, Basov and Prokhorov shared the Nobel Prize for Physics for their fundamental work in the field of quantum electronics, which lead to the construction of oscillators and amplifiers based on the principle of maser-laser.

1960 : an American physicist Theodore Maiman obtained for the first time a laser emission by a ruby crystal.

1961 : Ali Javan developed a laser gas, helium and neon.

1966 : Peter Sorokin built the first liquid laser.

1967 : Lasers are industrial opportunities. The first applicationwas to machine a hole of 4.7 mm in diameter and 2 mm in deep into the diamond with a ruby laser. This operation was carried out in 15 minutes, while a typical application took 24 hours.
White and Anderholm show that it is possible to generate a shock wave inside a metal after laser irradiation pulse. The pressures were in the order of 1 GPa.

1967 : P. Houlcroft cutting a stainless steel plate (2.5 mm thick) at a speed of 1m/min under dioxygen with a CO2 laser of 300 W 2 and designed the first cutting head.

In the end of 1970s : this process was adapted on machines before implanted in industrial field.

1974 : barcode reader

1978 : the laserdiscs are introduced, but optical discs become widely used until 1982 with the CD. The laser can read a large volume of data.

1980 : The industrial platforms are located in France and the laser itself as a production tool in industrial machining and micromachining, with an high asset: a high-speed machining of about 10 m / min, non-contact, no tool wear.

1990 : It is possible to weld materials with laser welding and transparency.

2000 : The laser is needed in the medical field, especially in surgery.

2005 : Laser Welding is used in many industries such as aerospace.

2010 : CMF has developed a laser welding machine tube can reach records in speed welding 8m/min thicknesses of thin,0.8 mm.