You’re looking at a rendition of the inside of the X-Flow Resonator developed by Mitsubishi Laser (Wood Dale, IL; www.mitsubishi-laser.com). This patented, three-axis, cross-flow design is said to require two to five times less maintenance than previous designs, which reduces overall operating costs. Another key benefit claimed by Mitsubishi is that whereas laser resonators using traditional fast axial-flow technology can take up to 30 minutes in order to ramp up to full power, the X-Flow technology permits a beam to reach full power in just 45 seconds, so the laser can be shut down between shifts and during breaks, thereby reducing the need to run the machine when it isn’t working.