Board of Laser Safety (BLS) Announces Launch of New Website

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Steven Glover

The Board of Laser Safety (BLS) is excited to announce the launch of its new website at www.lasersafety.org.

The new website provides a user-friendly platform for both medical and non-medical laser safety officers to stay up-to-date with the latest laser safety and certification news. This reflects the mission of the BLS, which is to “provide a means for improvement in the practice of laser safety by providing opportunities for the education, assessment, and recognition of laser safety professionals.”

The new website offers many convenient features, including:

Easy-to-read news feed that allows for timely releases of critical laser safety information.
Powerful cloud-based server that ensures speed and deliverability to all visitors.
Intuitive, responsive design that is easily navigable on all devices.

The new BLS website will continue to provide information on two types of certification – Certified Laser Safety Officer (CLSO) and Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer (CMLSO). Gaining BLS certification will enhance the credibility of a designated laser safety officer; it shows that the individual has the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the job of LSO. It demonstrates the individual’s commitment to the job as well as validate an employer’s commitment to a safe working environment. For more information on BLS certifications, please visit www.lasersafety.org/about-bls/what-is-certification.

The Laser Institute of America (LIA) supports the BLS’ mission by offering laser safety training for both LSOs and MLSOs. As the professional society for laser applications and safety, LIA is dedicated to serving the industrial, medical, research and government communities worldwide. For more information on the LIA, visit www.lia.org or call 1-800-34-LASER today.

Weekly Lasers Wrap Up – Week of November 14, 2016

Posted on November 18, 2016 by Steven Glover

The Laser Institute of America LasersToday.com Weekly Wrap-Up aggregates industry news, conference updates, and LIA happenings. Here is the latest:

LIA News

November’s Featured Corporate member is Alio Industries, Inc. Alio Industries has developed a reputation through the years for its “innovative designs” and production of precision motor systems. Learn more about this Colorado-based company, and their contributions to the industry here.

Laser Industry News

GE has been a household name for decades. However, in the last year, GE has reinvented itself, increasingly merging with the world of open-source, industrial design, through manufacturing. Take a look at what GE has recently worked on here.

Lasers Today recently featured a guest post on Beam Delivery. This in-depth look discusses the importance of a laser’s beam size, M2, beam perimeter product, and the measurements needed for each. Discover why these measurements can be a great deal of importance to those in the industry here.

Researchers at UCLA are working to “explore one of the last frontiers of the electromagnetic spectrum” using terahertz lasers. Terahertz lasers are capable of producing photons with frequencies of over a trillion cycles per second. They are, however, a challenge to create. Check out the article at Phys.org to learn more about the team’s research.

Forget scarecrows. Lasers may soon be the preferred method to keep birds away from destroying crops. Currently, sound cannons, used at random intervals keep crows from lingering too long, much to the dismay of neighbors. The solution? Low powered lasers that take advantage of birds sensitivity to moving light, which usually indicates a predator nearby. Learn more here.

As 2016 begins to wind down to an end, the first look at the shifts, growth, and the overall state of the laser market is starting to show. Take a look at the first of the predictions and analytics here.

Don’t miss a single laser industry update! Sign up today to receive the latest in lasers delivered straight to your inbox. Be sure to follow LIA on Facebook and Twitter for even more laser news.

The Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the international society for laser applications and safety. Our mission is to foster lasers, laser applications, and laser safety worldwide. Find us at www.lia.org

Physicists Shatter Laser-Electron Interaction Record

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Steven Glover

In case you missed the news last week, researchers converted the energy of an electron beam into a pulse of coherent light with an efficiency of 30 percent. If you need perspective, this is much higher than the 10 percent efficiency of most free-electron lasers.

According to the breaking news story by PhysicsWorld.com, while the demonstration produces only infrared light, the method could lead to efficient, high-power lasers operating over a range of wavelengths, including X-ray. X-ray sources like these could be used to etch circuits on semiconductor chips even faster.

At the Brookhaven National Laboratory, a research institute in Upton, New York, the energy conversion was demonstrated by first accelerating a beam of electrons in a five-metre-long tunnel. They then directed those electrons for several more metres along a helical path using magnets, before illuminating those electrons with an infrared laser.

Courtesy: News Story, PhysicsWorld.com

The method could lead to efficient, high-power lasers operating over a range of wavelengths, including X-ray. Such X-ray sources could be used to etch circuits on semiconductor chips faster and more efficiently. -PhysicsWorld.com

Interested in learning more? Read the Full Article Here.

Tell LIA: What does this record-breaking update mean to you as a laser enthusiast or professional? Comment below or share with us on Twitter @LaserInstitute!

The Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the international society for laser applications and safety. Our mission is to foster lasers, laser applications, and laser safety worldwide. Find us at www.lia.org.

LIA to Host Manufacturing Day Event on October 7 for Worldwide Laser Community

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Steven Glover

Resource site will provide LIA members and small businesses with information designed to reduce and prevent exposure to laser beam and non-beam hazards in manufacturing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ORLANDO, FL – OCTOBER 4, 2016– In celebration of Manufacturing Day 2016, Laser Institute of America (LIA) will provide the worldwide laser community on October 7 with online information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect employees’ health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to laser beam and non-beam hazards in industrial workplaces.

Manufacturing Day is an annual national event supported by thousands of manufacturers as they host students, teachers, parents, job seekers and other community members at open houses, plant tours and presentations designed to showcase modern manufacturing technology and careers.

“There is an increasing demand for highly skilled professionals in the manufacturing sector who can design, program and operate technology,” said Jim Naugle, Marketing Director at LIA. “The average age of a manufacturing employee is 56, and between now and 2020 there will be an unprecedented shortage of skilled workers who will need to be replaced.”

Manufacturing Day is co-produced by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the Manufacturing Institute (MI), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). Partners include Edge Factor and the Science Channel and guest producer, Industrial Strength Marketing.

To access LIA’s helpful information, please visit LIA’s official Manufacturing Day page http://bit.ly/2cEqBNo. For more information or questions, please contact LIA Marketing Department at marketing@lia.org.

About LIA

The Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the professional society for laser applications and laser safety. Our mission is to foster lasers, laser applications and laser safety worldwide. Serving the industrial, medical, research and government communities for over 45 years, LIA offers technical information, training and networking opportunities to laser users from around the globe. Please visit us at http://www.lia.org. More information on Manufacturing Day is available at www.mfgday.com.

Weekly Lasers Wrap Up – Week of September 26, 2016

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Steven Glover

Bringing you up to speed with the latest in laser industry news, LIA updates, and relevant conferences, the Weekly Wrap Up aggregates everything you may have missed this week, in the world of lasers.

Conference News and Updates

The scope of Photonics and Electro-Optics is constantly changing. What does this mean for conferences like ICALEO®, that foster the idea of conversation and collaboration between researchers, companies, and end users? Check out a few key industry disruptors and innovators, some of which will be in attendance at ICALEO this year, here.

ICALEO® is less than a month away and registration spots are still open! ICALEO® will take place October 16–20, 2016, in San Diego, California. Find everything you need to know about this premiere conference here. Already planning to attend? Get all the info you need in regards to transportation in the San Diego area here.

LIA News

Intrigued by the idea of taking LSO training, but not sure if it’s right for you? Check out this intriguing infographic illustrating the 8 biggest benefits of taking your Laser Safety Officer Training online. Find it here.

LIA will host a Laser Safety Chat on Twitter, featuring LIA education director, Gus Anibarro. Taking place October 12 from 12–1 PM EST, Gus will answer all of your questions regarding laser safety under #AskGusLIA. Be sure to follow @laserinstitute on Twitter, so you don’t miss a single tweet!

Laser Industry News

MedGadget reports that the market for femtosecond lasers for cataract surgery will reach $2.4 Billion dollars until 2019. The growth is due, in part, to an aging population worldwide, in need of cataract surgery. Femtosecond lasers are used in a more automated, and often times more accurate surgical process, compared to cataract surgery of the past. Learn more about this exciting industry growth here.

Could lasers help us predict natural disasters? Researchers at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas are determined to find out. Using a much smaller version of the laser interferometer, similar to LIGO, the researchers are looking into the potential to detect geophysical disruptions. Check out their progress here.

Don’t miss a single laser industry update! Subscribe to Lasers Today for the latest in lasers and LIA news, delivered straight to your inbox! Be sure to follow LIA (@laserinstitute) on Twitter for up-to-the-minute industry news and updates.

Laser Chirp

Constant steady delivery of laser industry news and events!

Tag Archives: Laser Institute