The first industrial laser machines used a carbon dioxide laser. The carbon dioxide laser was applied to a rubber plate; the carbon dioxide would actually burn away (or sculpt) everything around the image to be “stamped” or printed. The rubber plate would then do the printing. This process was easy and chemical free and was used up until the year 2000. But carbon dioxide laser on rubber was not precise.  Since glass (silica) fibers were created and introduced to the process, even though the fibers are no thicker than a human hair, their incredible ability to transmit and change light made a big difference in the quality and precision of industrial laser machines and laser markers.

Examples of industrial laser machines:

Direct photopolymer laser imaging—a process using lasers with a fast-rotating drum or cylinder

Laser engraving with anilox rolls—engraving system that uses a cylinder, usually coated with ceramic, to control the amount of ink on a printing plate

Sub-surface laser engraving (SSLE)—the laser is focused to below the surface of the material. The material must be of high optical quality (it won’t distort the beam as it hits the surface) in order for the laser to get underneath the surface to where it is going to engrave.

Lasers have also been combined with other matter to create special effects in the industrial world:

Gas lasers—Shooting light radiation through gas can create different types of light and light spectrums. Examples: Helium, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Argon-Ion Nitrogen, Helium-Silver, and Neon-Copper

Chemical lasers—Laser that is powered by a chemical reaction. Example: Hydrogen fluoride laser, Deuterium fluoride laser

Excimer lasers—powered by one atom in an excited electrical state. This is a volatile laser; the electrical state is unstable and doesn’t last long.

Solid state lasers—Lasers used with a charged crystalline, glass rod or fiber lasers

Dye lasers—Combines lasers with organic dyes. Because dyes can be mixed to create infinite color possibilities, the resulting laser light can have infinite spectrum qualities.

A few other kinds: photonic crystal lasers, semi conductor lasers, free electron lasers, and bio lasers.