ND:YAG LASER TECHNOLOGY HAS MADE GREAT STRIDES IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. IN THE EARLY 1980S THE YAG (YTTRIUM ALUMINUM GARNET) LASER WAS LIMITED TO AVERAGE POWER LEVELS OF APPROXIMATELY 400 WATTS; NOW THERE ARE COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE YAG LASERS THAT OBTAIN POWER LEVELS OF 800 TO 1600 WATTS, WITH HIGHER POWER LEVELS IN THE DEVELOPMENT STAGE. IMPROVEMENTS IN OPTICAL MATERIALS, THEIR COATINGS, CAVITY DESIGN, FILTERS, AND ELECTRICAL POWER SUPPLIES HAVE PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN MOVING ND:YAG LASER TECHNOLOGY INTO THE KILOWATT REGION. WITH THE ADVENT OF HIGH-POWER YAG LASERS, THERE IS A NEED TO EVALUATE NEW DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS AND APPLICATIONS THAT UNTIL RECENTLY WERE NOT CONSIDERED VIABLE.