Our Lasers for Manufacturing Event™ (LME®) last week was an incredible success, and I would like to thank those in attendance; our guest speakers, exhibitors, our incredible staff, and everyone else who made this event such a success. We invite you all to attend next year’s event which will be held September 11-12, 2013 in Schaumburg, Illinois.
Please take a moment to tell us some of your experiences this year in the comments below.
By Stephan Ziermann and David Havrilla
Laser cutting and welding have been around for more than 30 years. Within those three decades there has never been a greater variety of high power laser types and wavelengths to choose from than there is today. There are many considerations when choosing the right laser for any given application. However, one of the most fundamental questions that must be asked and answered is – “what type of laser is best suited for the application?”
LIA’s Peter Baker presents Reinhart Poprawe with his 2012 President’s plaque.
By Geoff Giordano
Not only are lasers bridging worlds by offering solutions useful across the macro-, micro- and nanoprocessing spheres, but they are building a better world as vital components in the facilitation of green energy technologies.
From beginning to end, the Laser Institute of America highlighted these themes in a broad-ranging program for the 31st International Congress on Applications of Lasers & Electro–Optics (ICALEO®) from Sept. 23-27 in Anaheim. Nearly 500 attendees, including about 40 first-timers, from 33 countries gathered in southern California to take in as many of the more than 200 presentations as they could while interacting with peers and vendors.
LIA Executive Director Peter Baker and President Prof. Reinhart Poprawe presided over another collegial gathering that saw them exchange good-natured gifts to one another at the Wednesday awards luncheon — during which they announced that LIA easily overshot its financial projections for 2012. Earlier in the week, attendees were treated to an exciting president’s reception on Monday at the Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin. Attendees eagerly shared insights and experiences while being bused to and from the event, where they witnessed a collection of vehicles valued at more than $30 million.
By Mathies Kraetzsch
Electric car model.
© Secret Side – Fotolia.com
Copper is known for its excellent electrical properties that make it predestined for the production of cables and electrical connections. Aluminum, which is lighter and cheaper than copper, also provides very good electrical properties. The Fraunhofer IWS Dresden has set the task to join both materials in a professional and long-lasting way. Some approaches could be developed. They provide solutions for a multitude of joining tasks which are demanded in the field of electromobility. Continue reading
