Laser cutting is a process that can make accurate, complex cuts completely through the thickness of such materials as metal, plastic, and wood. It does this by focusing a beam of light energy into a small point on the surface of the material to be cut, melting/vaporizing it, and blowing it from the cut path with the assistance of a gas jet. Metal cutting requires higher laser power than cutting plastics and wood. The most common industrial lasers employ fiber and CO2 lasers, although there are a number of laser-cutting technologies.
