Monthly Archives: July 2013

Keynote Speaker David Belforte to Expand on the Rise of the Laser Market at LME 2013

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ORLANDO, FL, July 23, 2013 — Laser processing expert David Belforte will present another data-packed state-of-the-industry keynote address at the third annual Lasers for Manufacturing Event® (LME®) on Sept. 11 at the Renaissance Schaumburg (IL) Convention Center Hotel.

Belforte, past president of the Laser Institute of America and chief editor of Industrial Laser Solutions magazine, has been a popular speaker at LIA’s unique event. LME 2013 will bring together laser systems providers, systems integrators and representatives from many industries — aerospace, automotive, energy, medical — that use laser-based manufacturing to maximize production efficiency and profitability.

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Welcome LIA New Employees!

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The Laser Institute of America is excited to announce the addition of three new employees to our team. Both internal and industry-wide growth have given LIA the opportunity to strengthen its team to better serve the needs of our members. LIA is commited to meet the growing demands of the laser industry, and looks forward to progressing with the help of our new employees.

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2013 Arthur L. Schawlow Award Winner – Ursula Keller

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ORLANDO, FL, July 12, 2013 — Prof. Dr. Ursula Keller, a pioneer in ultrafast laser research, is the first female recipient of the Laser Institute of America’s Arthur L. Schawlow Award.

Keller will receive her honor during the awards luncheon at LIA’s 32nd annual International Congress on Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics (ICALEO®) which will be held Oct. 6-10 at the Hyatt Regency® Miami Hotel.

“My fundamental mission is to explore and push the frontiers in ultrafast science and technology, using interdisciplinary understanding of the physics of lasers, semiconductors, and measurement technologies,” Keller says of her current work. “One of my current focus areas is high average power ultrafast lasers, where we push the performance frontier with SESAM mode-locked thin-disk lasers into the multi-100 W average output power regime. We have pushed pulse energy and the average power of ultrafast laser oscillators by four orders of magnitude from typically 1 nJ to >10 µJ and from ≈100 mW to >270 W directly from laser oscillators without additional amplifiers.”

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Laser Pointer Characterization and Evaluation at NIST

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By Joshua Hadler

Using a low-cost apparatus designed to quickly and accurately measure the properties of hand-held laser devices, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers tested 122 laser pointers and found that nearly 90 percent of green pointers and about 44 percent of red pointers tested were out of compliance with federal safety regulations. The NIST test apparatus was designed so that it can be replicated easily by other institutions. Continue reading →

LIA – 45 Years Preparing You for the Demands of Laser Safety

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By Geoff Giordano

The presence of so many attendees wearing red Certified Laser Safety Officer (CLSO®) and Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer (CMLSO®) ribbons at the International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC®) in Orlando, served as a clear indicator that the ranks of laser safety professionals are growing. And their job is going to be increasingly demanding as photonics expand into more advanced applications in aviation, energy, medicine, defense and manufacturing.

“We train about 1,000 laser safety officers a year,” noted LIA Education Director Gus Anibarro. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when considering the enormity of the task ahead for companies and research facilities making an intensive use of lasers and trying to ensure the safety of their personnel. Continue reading →