LIA Presents Professor Reinhart Poprawe with Peter M. Baker Leadership Award

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Steven Glover

Laser Institute of America presented Professor Reinhart Poprawe, managing director of Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT), the Peter M. Baker Leadership Award during this year’s International Congress on Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics (ICALEO®) in Atlanta, Georgia, Oct. 22-26.

Lin Li (right), former LIA president, presented LIA’s Peter M. Baker Leadership Award to Professor Reinhart Poprawe(left), at ICALEO, Oct. 25 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The award acknowledges individuals who demonstrate outstanding leadership in an organization while significantly benefiting the laser community. It is named after former LIA executive director, Peter M. Baker, who led LIA for almost three decades.

“There is no question that Professor Poprawe richly deserves this award. In our world of lasers, he is a leader on the grand scale, technical, organizational, political and social,” Baker said. “He is a fine gentleman, courteous, thoughtful, generous and funny. I consider it an honor to be his friend.”

Poprawe’s professional expertise includes laser applications, laser additive manufacturing, and photonics in life science. Additionally, he has a great deal of experience in laser development and plasma technology in the realms of process analysis, sensors for laser processes, laser induced plasmas and more.

“The award is from one of the most important laser communities in the world,” Poprawe said. “It is a great honor to receive this award as the first recipient after the original, Mr. Peter Baker himself.”

According to several of his peers, Poprawe has been an important figure within the industry for decades.

Professor Reinhart Poprawe addresses a crowd at ICALEO, Oct. 25 in Atlanta, Georgia.

“Professor Poprawe has been an important figure here at LIA for years,” said Nat Quick, LIA’s executive director. “He has been an LIA board member since 2001 and he always steps up when it counts most. He served as an LIA president in 2012 and has functioned as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Laser Applications® (JLA) since 2010. He is incredibly generous and exemplifies what it means to be a leader.”

After earning his Physics Ph.D. in Germany, Poprawe worked as the laser-oriented process development department head for Fraunhofer ILT before becoming their managing director. Additionally, he holds the university chair for Laser Technology at the RWTH Aachen University.

“There are so many ingredients for a successful organization,” Poprawe said. “Vision; mission; research and product portfolios; roadmaps; SWOT-analysis; and education of the employees. Industry or even better societal use and implementation of our research results is what we do everything for, especially the development of the demanding competencies in the very fundamentals of Laser Technology and application Physics.”

About LIA

The Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the professional society for laser applications and safety serving the industrial, educational, medical, research and government communities throughout the world since 1968. www.lia.org, 13501 Ingenuity Drive, Suite 128, Orlando, FL 32826, +1.407.380.1553.

Meet IVAM Microtechnology Network – March’s Featured Corporate Member

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Steven Glover

IVAM Microtechnology Network, a company based in Dortmund, Germany, is an international association with members in the fields of microtechnology, nanotechnology, advanced materials, MEMS and photonics. IVAM supports companies by pushing their clients’ innovative technologies and products to the forefront of the international marketplace with the goal of securing competitive advantages abroad. The association does this by creating synergies that support its members with exchanging knowledge, initiating joint projects and networking.

IVAM Microtechnology Network is LIA’s Featured Corporate Member for March 2017.

IVAM was founded in 1995 and has since offered a number of valuable services to their customers. Their services have included assistance with marketing, public affairs, networking opportunities and internationalization efforts.

The organization is made of four departments that include Membership Relations Management; Trade Fairs and Events; Publics Relations; and Economic Research. These departments work together to offer customers a variety of platforms that facilitate cooperation between companies that complement one another.

Exhibitors of the IVAM joint booth at MD&M West 2016

IVAM, an LIA corporate member, offers platforms at tradeshows and technical presentation forums, which they say creates visibility, and gets their members in touch with potential partners and clientele. Through large-scale communication efforts, they bridge the gap between companies that can work well together. In doing so they also allow intellectuals and experts to share numerous tech industry trends and ideas.

“Microtechnology, nanotechnology, photonics, MEMS and advanced materials have significantly accelerated innovation in the late 20th and early 21st century,” said Mona Okroy-Hellweg, Public Relations Manager at IVAM. “These key enabling technologies have affected, improved or fundamentally changed many areas of society, industry, and economy – either by improving existing products and processes or by triggering entirely new, previously unthought-of applications.”

IVAM INNO Magazine

With over two decades of experience and observation, the company has witnessed an increasing demand for international reach amongst tech companies. They have risen to this challenge and presently have members in 18 countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

For more information about LIA’s March Featured Corporate Member, please visit: http://www.ivam.de.

This Corporate Member Feature was written by Brandon Kalloo in collaboration with IVAM Microtechnology Network.

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.

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. Visit us at www.lia.org

What Major Innovations in Photonics and Electro-Optics Mean for ICALEO®

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Steven Glover

As any laser professional or enthusiast knows that the scope of Photonics and Electro-Optics is constantly changing. Crossing over into other industries and bringing in a tide of innovation in their wake; the use of this technology is altering the way we practice medicine, enjoy entertainment, create parts and goods, and explore our world. Conferences like ICALEO® and others do their part to not only educate, but create a dialogue around innovation.

Companies and Researchers alike are accomplishing great things.

SPI Lasers recently developed fiber lasers that are able to produce high-quality welds between dissimilar metals. For those who use lasers for manufacturing, this is a particularly interesting development. Typically, dissimilar metals, such as copper and aluminum, pose a few challenges when a weld is attempted. The two metals react differently at different temperatures. So where one metal would begin to soften under heat, the other may become brittle and unusable. Fiber lasers reduce the heat input and area affected by heat. The laser developed by SPI Lasers, redENERGY 70 W EP-Z is able to create three spot welds in about one second. Fast? Effective? Innovative? This development from SPI Lasers can check all three off the list.

Photo Credit: SPI Lasers

Worth noting: SPI Lasers will be in attendance at ICALEO® 2016, with a number of other key players innovating and disrupting photonics and electro-optics as we know it.

ICALEO® has established a reputation for being “the conference where researchers and end users meet to review the state-of-the-art in laser processing.”

One particularly interesting innovation coming out of the news recently is the idea of using inkjet printersto print “multi-layer graphene circuits” on laser-treated graphene paper. We’ve talked about inkjet printing, using lasers on Lasers Today in the past. The development is in the use of laser treating for graphene; printing tiny electronics was do-able, but researchers needed to find a way to improve conductivity and performance. Researchers at Iowa State University saw these challenges and implemented the use of a pulsed layer laser on the electrodes. In doing so, the future of printable electronics has a much brighter potential for mass-use!

While this is just a micro-glimpse into the current climate of photonics and electro-optics, it is strikingly clear that the fields are drastically shifting and evolving daily. Conferences like ICALEO® help foster the growth around these fields, increasing awareness, encouraging discussion, and emphasizing education for laser and photonics professionals. With just a handful of weeks before the 35th iteration of the conference, one can only imagine what developments and innovations could shake the foundations of what we know, between then and now.

Don’t delay! The 35th ICALEO® will take place October 16–20 in San Diego, CA. Registration spots are still available but are running out fast. Register here today. Already registered? Be sure to check out our “What to See and Do in San Diego” post, available on Lasers Today, for tips on what to check out when it town for ICALEO®.

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. Visit us at www.lia.org

Weekly Lasers Wrap Up – Week of September 19, 2016

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Steven Glover

Bringing you up to speed on the latest updates in laser industry news, LIA updates, and other laser-related developments, the Weekly Wrap-Up aggregates all that you may have missed this week:

Industry News:

In a recent trade advisory, OSHA announced that they will be sharing safety and health updates via Twitter. The account @OSHA_DOL will provide information to the public regarding OSHA initiatives, activities, publications, and more! OSHA encourages professionals to share these updates within their own networks. LIA will be sharing all laser industry-related updates at our own Twitter handle @laserinstitute. Check out our summary of the advisory here.

Manufacturing Day takes place October 17 This year’s theme is “Opening Doors and Minds.” LIA will be covering all Manufacturing Day updates on Twitter. Check out #MFGDay16 to stay up to date on all activities and insights throughout the day — and stay tuned for more LIA Manufacturing Day updates!

Multi-beam laser additive manufacturing process

Researchers at the Photonics Institute at Vienna Institute of Technology have developed a device that “emits super short flashes of infrared light with extremely high energy.” Combining long infrared wavelength, short duration, and high energy, the pulses are able to be compressed, without sacrificing the energy. Check out the original article on Science Daily here.

LIA Updates:

LIA remembers Laser Safety Community Leader Darrell Seeley. Seeley was a renowned laser safety teacher and consultant. He passed away August 16, 2016, after battling cancer. Seeley was 66 years old. Read our tribute to his memory here.

Conference News:

ICALEO is less than a month away! Registration for this premiere conference is still open. ICALEO takes place October 16-20, 2016 in San Diego, CA. Review photos from last year’s event here.

ICALEO 2016 is almost here! View photos from last year’s event.

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Tag Archives: Photonics