Fifty years of the laser: its role in material processing

The paper aims to provide a review of the use of lasers in industry, with an emphasis on applications in manufacturing and material processing.

Following an introduction to lasers and their development, this paper considers a selection of key material processing applications.

This shows that, since their invention in 1960, lasers have emerged to play a vital role in numerous industrial processes. Gas (CO₂), solid‐state, excimer, semiconductor and fibre lasers are used in welding, soldering, drilling, cutting, micromachining, marking, engraving, heat treatment, material deposition and adhesive curing.

The paper provides a detailed review of the uses of lasers in industrial material processing and also places these applications in an historical context.