LASERS ARE GAINING INCREASING ACCEPTANCE AS PRODUCTION TOOLS IN MODERN MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT. THIS ARTICLE DESCRIBES HOW CO2 LASERS ARE BEING USED IN CUTTING AND DRILLING OF SHEET METAL AND NONMETAL FABRICATIONS FOR AEROSPACE APPLICATIONS. THE PROCESS PARAMETERS AND THE INDUSTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR PROCESS ACCEPTANCE ARE ILLUSTRATED WITH SPECIFIC EXAMPLES. THE BENEFIT OF LASER MACHINING ARE BRIEFLY OUTLINED.
