Managing Director of Fraunhofer ILT to Give Keynote at Photonics Seminar

Dr. Reinhart Poprawe, Managing Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology in Aachen, Germany will present the keynote address at the 2011 Lasers and Photonics Marketplace Seminar in San Francisco, CA.

The annual seminar, hosted by Laser Focus World, Strategies Unlimited, and Industrial Laser Solutions, delivers in-depth analysis and commentary of photonics-market trends, applications development, and business outlook.

In his address, High-Power Diode Lasers: The ultimate source for economic photons in the next decade, Poprawe will discuss development trends in the technology of high-power diode lasers and the outlook for their increasing use in direct materials processing applications.

“Despite significant development efforts over many years the main drawback to the use of diode lasers for materials processing has been poor beam quality and product reliability,” explains David Belforte, editor-in-chief of Industrial Laser Solutions. “Now, as a result of substantive funding to improve beam quality, the diode laser has finally found its niche in manufacturing environments.”

“Because of his understanding of the needs of industry using industrial lasers, Professor Dr. Reinhart Poprawe has played a significant role in directing the technology toward a more broadly accepted position,” said Belforte. “His background as a researcher and practitioner makes him an ideal speaker to review direct diode laser technology and to comment on the future markets.”

The Lasers and Photonics Marketplace Seminar will be held January 24, 2011 in San Francisco, California in conjunction with Photonics West. The seminar provides the only applications-oriented review of global laser markets coupled with business and technology trends focused on the optoelectronics and photonics markets. Visit www.marketplaceseminar.com for more information or to register.

Activities at The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT) cover a wide range of areas including development of new laser beam sources and components, the use of modern laser measurement and testing technology and laser-supported manufacturing that  includes: laser cutting, caving, drilling, welding and soldering as well as surface treatment, micro-processing and rapid-prototyping. ILT is also engaged in laser plant technology and process control as well as the entire system technology. Find out more at www.ilt.fraunhofer.de/