CO₂ Lasers have their own website: www.synrad.com, where one can learn about all their applications. Synrad (An Excel Technology Company) advertises in NASA's Tech Briefs with infomercials touting:

Drilling Ceramic with CO₂ Lasers

The cutting and drilling process involves more care on ceramics than it does with other substances, and the electronics industry has taken advantage of the speed and micro adaptablities. The danger is overheating the brittle material. Now, 75 micron holes can be drilled into Alumina .015"ceramic without leaving dross if one uses a pulse mode at 240 watts.

The other critical element in the products' outcome, is the assist gas pressure. This procedure prevents the formation of dross by the exit hole by stemming over expansion of spewed ceramic material. The gas protects the focusing optic from this splatter.

The gas type used makes a difference in chemical quality.

Laser Cutting 75Cr-1 Steel

This 75Cr-1 steel is the extra durable variety used in power machinery cutting blades.
CO₂ lasers at 240 watts will leave only a small amount of dross at the lower end of the work.

.1" thick steel can be cut with a 240 watt Synrad laser at 25" per minute.

Laser Marking Brake Pads

Both sides of the part can be engraved with a mark.
The contact side of the brake pad can have an indented engraving, while the reverse painted side can have a larger contrasting imprint. This application can be done with 15 watts of power at 65" per second.