100kW Giant Laser: A New Tool for Cutting Steel, Tunneling, and Accelerating Mining
Laser technology is entering a new stage of development. German researchers have pointed out that ultra short pulse and continuous wave lasers with an average power of several kilowatts are expected to significantly improve material processing efficiency and expand new application areas. This type of high-power laser is expected to have a profound impact on manufacturing, infrastructure construction, and energy systems, driving related industries into a new era.
“The average power of USP lasers is now reaching double-digit kilowatt levels thanks to developments within the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Advanced Photon Sources (CAPS),” said Jochen Stollenwerk, PhD, Fraunhofer ILT acting director.
Laser technology is breaking into new dimensions
The rise of multi-kW lasers
Meanwhile, continuous-wave lasers already achieve outputs of several hundred kilowatts. Such power levels make the laser attractive for previously unattainable target markets. In tunnel and deep drilling or in mining, high-power lasers could help shatter rock and massively accelerate existing processes. In shipbuilding and plant construction, high average powers enable more efficient and precise drilling, cutting, and joining processes for thick materials and high-strength steels. High-power lasers are also needed to process and functionalise large metallic, glass, and ceramic surfaces in parallel using multi-beam methods or optical stamps. Stollenwerk is convinced that “these methods will trigger a surge in efficiency in laser material processing.” Laser processes could then also be used to maintain rail networks or pipelines.
“These processes will deliver a major efficiency boost in laser material processing,” Stollenwerk continued.
At the same time, laser-based technologies could also be utilised for maintaining rail networks and pipelines. For Hagen Zimmer, laser technology CEO at Trumpf SE + Co. KG, a leading global high-tech company, this transition represents more than just incremental progress.
He, instead, considers the growing laser adoption as a critical strategic moment. “Many things that were previously deemed unfeasible are now becoming reality,” Zimmer explained.
The shift is also fuelled by declining costs as lasers become more accessible. Industrial lasers exceeding 50 kilowatts (kW) are already in use, with those above one hundred kilowatts now within reach. Zimmer believes this pushes the industry toward a strategic inflection point. According to him, the shift could unlock new photonics markets worth hundreds of billions of euros.
“When laser technology moves into new dimensions – drilling thousands of holes in a single shot, functionalising square metres of surfaces per minute, or precisely cutting and joining centimetre-thick steel – it will also open up entirely new markets,” Stollenwerk added.
Breaking barriers
High-energy laser systems, such as diode-pumped solid-state lasers (DPPS), have emerged as critical tools for future fusion power plants. The ability to deliver high pulse energy with precision makes the ideal for driving fusion reactions, as well as generating secondary radiation sources like extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and X-rays.
However, increasing laser power alone isn’t enough. Better process control is just as important. Researchers are now combining high-power lasers with AI-assisted strategies, optical neural networks, and precision beam shaping.
These systems can tailor laser profiles into complex three-dimensional patterns, and enable techniques like optical stamping, where entire surfaces are processed in a single shot instead of line-by-line scanning.
Source: Metalworking News
