Is the laser sealed beam or gas flow-through?
The laser used in our laser cutting machines is a sealed CO2 laser. Sealed lasers feature slab-discharge technology, which permanently confines the lasing gas mixture between two rectangular plate electrodes. These lasers require no replacement gas and no scheduled maintenance to the laser head for up to 25,000 hours of continuous operation. Consequently, sealed lasers eliminate maintenance downtime, thereby increasing productivity and reducing costs. Sealed lasers keep the beam path away from contaminants, ensuring a steady beam alignment and eliminating the need for cleaning. Sealed lasers also have lower electrical and cooling-water requirements than flow-through lasers that flow consumable gases through the laser head. The combination of these features results in an hourly operating cost of well under one dollar. By comparison, the hourly operating cost of flow-through lasers can be five to ten times higher.
