Tag Archives: Laser Cutting

Five Things You Should Know About LIA’s Industrial Laser Conference

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There’s more to this inaugural conference than you think. 

Have you heard the buzz about our inaugural Industrial Laser Conference?  This one-of-a-kind industrial laser event is presented by Laser Institute of America and will be held at the September 2016 International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago. It is the foremost way for you and your team to learn how to incorporate lasers into your manufacturing processes, so you can stay competitive – and grow – in the current high-tech market.

Debuting on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 at the world-renowned McCormick Place, the Industrial Laser Conference will cover the spectrum of industrial applications of lasers, such as Additive Manufacturing (AM), Cutting, Welding, Marking, and more. Most importantly, the experts at the conference will show you exactly how to apply lasers to increase your organization’s profits and efficiency.

We couldn’t possibly pack every engaging detail about the conference in one Lasers Today blog post, but we can share with you our five favorite things about the first-annual event. Here are the top five things you can expect at the Industrial Laser Conference – and this is just the beginning:

1. The Industrial Laser Conference will be held at the famous IMTS

IMTS will run in its entirety from September 12-17, 2016, and will showcase over 2,000 exhibiting companies and more than 114,000 attendees.

If you’re already attending IMTS – the Industrial Laser Conference is a great complement to inspiring your skill set and furthering your company. Enjoy the entirety of the IMTS event, plus the Industrial Laser Conference – or travel to Chicago to learn about leading edge industrial laser manufacturing over a course of a day.

 2. The conference is perfect for Production Pros, Manufacturing Engineers, Directors of Manufacturing, Design Engineers, Technicians – and more.

From manufacturing directors to automation engineers to production specialists, every member of the industrial manufacturing workforce can benefit from attending this conference, learning over the course of a full day how to leverage lasers into their manufacturing processes in a high-tech, high-demand market.

 3. It is chaired by FANUC America Corporation’s Elizabeth Kautzmann

Take it from us – Industrial Laser Conference Program Chair Elizabeth Kautzmann of FANUC America Corporation is ready to kick off this future-forward inaugural event. As Kautzmann explained to us in a recent interview, the innovative techniques on center stage at the Industrial Laser Conference are emerging and revolutionizing the industry to meet market demands, all rooted in the field’s collective understanding of conventional machining. You can read more about what this industrial laser leader has to say about the conference here.

 4. It’s Industrial Laser Content-Packed

Anyone who works in industrial laser manufacturing can benefit from this event. From the “Tracking Trends in Lasers” program that will discuss today’s industrial laser opportunities in depth, to the latest advances in Additive Manufacturing, Hybrid Manufacturing, and Kautzmann’s favorite, “Trends in the Trenches,” there is something for everyone at the Industrial Laser Conference. View the full program here.

5. It’s Future-Forward – and Focused on You

This event is perfect for both industrial manufacturing professionals who want to improve their laser program – and those who have considered lasers as part of their processes before, but haven’t made the leap just yet. From the novice to the expert, every member of the industrial manufacturing spectrum can benefit from this future-forward event that is 100 percent focused on your individual and collective success.

Learn More about the Event – Sign Up Now! Click to register. If you have any additional questions, we’d be happy to help. Contact our Conference Team: conferences@lia.org, or +1.407.380.1553.

Laser Cutting of CFRP Using a 30 kW Fiber Laser

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By Dirk Herzog, Matthias Schmidt-Lehr, Marten Canisius, Max Oberlander, Jan-Philipp Tasche and Claus Emmelmann

Today, industrial usage of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) is steadily increasing, with an amount of 67,000 t/year. Latest products such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 in the aerospace sector, as well as the BMW i3 from the automotive industry, consist of more than 50 percent of CFRP in their structural weight. At the same time these products also have comparatively high production volumes, in the five-digit range per year in the case of the BMW i3. Therefore, a higher degree in automation and cost-efficiency is needed in production. Due to the highly abrasive carbon fibers, conventional machining processes result in short tool life and high costs.

For that reason laser cutting of CFRP as a wear-free alternative has become the focus of several research groups. Two different approaches are commonly chosen: Cutting by short- and ultra-short pulsed laser systems to reach a process regime of cold ablation, and cutting with continuous wave (cw) lasers at high cutting speeds. For the latter approach, it has already been shown that by increasing power and cutting speed, the heat affected zone (HAZ) can be reduced due to less time allowed for heat conduction. Continue reading →

LME 2016 Brings Laser Manufacturing to the Southeast

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By Geoff Giordano

Advanced manufacturing with lasers will be showcased at the Laser Institute of America’s fifth Lasers for Manufacturing Event® (LME®) held at the Cobb Galleria Centre April 26-27 in Atlanta, Georgia — a hub of U.S. automotive, aerospace, heavy equipment and metal fabrication activity.

The move of LME to the Southeast from its former home in Schaumburg, IL, “is intended to bring this unique lasers-only event closer to a new group of manufacturers who stand to benefit greatly from the real-world market information we provide — in an environment exclusively populated by top-tier laser equipment suppliers and customers who are ready to buy,” explained LIA Executive Director Peter Baker.

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LAM 2015: Real World View of the Future in AM & 3D Printing

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Orlando, FL (April 1, 2015) – Held in Orlando for the first time in its seven-year history, LIA’s Laser Additive Manufacturing Workshop (LAM®) drew nearly 200 attendees, about half of them first-time participants who got a real-world view of the profit potential and pitfalls of industrial 3D printing.

Featuring speakers from BMW, Siemens, GE Global Research and the Fraunhofer institutes, LAM 2015 showcased how researchers, powder suppliers, laser manufacturers, job shops and national initiatives are cooperating to advance applications in various industries. From unique job shop successes to visions of printing human tissue, attendees were treated to a broad range of expert knowledge March 4-5 — including state-of-the-art strategies to eliminate cracking, clad large parts and build high-value components.

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Recap: CO2 vs. fiber laser shootout by Cincinnati Incorporated

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In case you missed today’s CO2-vs.-fiber shootout by Cincinnati Incorporated using its 4,000-watt CL440 CO2 and CL940 fiber lasers to cut identical parts side by side, here’s a quick rundown.

Performed at the company’s Customer Productivity Center in Harrison, Ohio, about 20 miles west of Cincinnati, this demonstration by the longtime LIA exhibitor used their machines to fashion parts out of 20-gauge mild steel, 1/2-inch mild steel and 1/8-inch aluminum. Both systems have identical drive systems.

In broad terms, of course, fiber lasers — which have been carving out more and more market share — cut thinner materials faster, while CO2 performs better with materials thicker than 10 gauge.

The results:

Cincinnati Incorporated pits its CL940 fiber laser against its CL440 CO2 laser.

• 20-gauge mild steel (assisted by shop air): Fiber laser cut the part at 27 seconds at a rate of 2,160 inches per minute vs. 31 seconds for the CO2 laser run at 850 inches per minute. Estimated cost of the process is $6.90 per hour for fiber vs. $9.88 for CO2.
• ½-inch mild steel (oxygen): CO2 cut the part at about 79 seconds at a rate of 60 inches per minute vs. about 99 seconds for fiber run at 45 inches per minute. Estimated hourly operating cost is $6.52 for fiber vs. $10.33 for CO2.
• 1/8-inch aluminum (piercing with nitrogen, cutting with oxygen): Fiber cut the material at 56 seconds at 950 inches per minute (vs. 500 inches per minute if cutting with nitrogen).

Audience polling during the demonstration yielded an interesting look into laser purchasing habits:

• 32 percent said they had two to five lasers in their facility; 30 percent said one, 30 percent said none and 9 percent said more than five.
• 82 percent said they had not purchased a new laser within the past three years.
• 45 percent said they might consider automation with their next laser purchase, 40 percent said yes and 15 percent said no.
• 51 percent said they would be more likely to purchase a fiber laser, 30 percent a CO2 laser, 19 percent unsure.

The presentation is scheduled to be made available at Cincinnati’s website.

— Geoff Giordano