New progress in laser cutting

Laser cutting is the most widespread application among laser material processing. Meanwhile, nearly each material can be cut by means of a laser, in particular since ultra short pulse lasers are available in the power range of up to 100 W. The paper will concentrate on cutting with high power cw lasers in the near and far IR laser. Latest developments in terms of thick plate cutting, remote cutting without utilizing assist gas, and cutting of non-metals like plastics or composite materials are introduced and discussed. Finally, an outlook of future trends of laser cutting will be given.