Weekly Lasers Wrap Up – Week of January 2nd, 2017

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

Here is the latest:


Laser Industry News

Could quantum computing make the jump from the lab to practicality? If Google, Microsoft, and other industry leaders have their way, it could be a reality sooner than expected. Moving away from the research phase, the race is on to make quantum computing a reality in 2017. Learn more here.

Courtesy of Nature.com

Often times, all types of 3D printing get lumped together as if they were the exact same process. When, in reality, there are two leading printing technologies for 3D printers. Do you know the difference between Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and Polyjet printing technology? Learn the key differences here.

LIA Updates

Kick off the new year by expanding upon your laser safety knowledge. Check out the current course schedule through LIA. Courses are available online and in person to suit your scheduling needs. Find the current course schedule here.

Conference News

Early bird sign ups for LAM® are underway! Save on registration costs by signing up early. The 2017 Laser Additive Manufacturing Workshop (LAM®) will take place February 21-22, in Houston Texas. For more information, and to register please visit https://www.lia.org/conferences/lam

Learn about Laser Additive Manufacturing at LAM 2017.

Interested in additive manufacturing for medical purposes? Be sure to check out the “Additive Manufacturing of Medical Implants” presentation from Gene Kulesha of Stryker Corporation during day one of LAM®. Learn more about Stryker Corporation and their recent contributions to the use of 3D printing for medical implants here.

LAM® will feature the latest investments and innovations from Siemens, who recently expanded their additive manufacturing focus. Get the details here.


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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

Weekly Lasers Wrap Up – Week of December 26, 2016

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

Laser Industry News

Despite turbulence, both economic and political, around the world, industrial laser sales continue to grow, where other manufacturing sectors have slowed. Dominating the market are Carbon Dioxide, Solid State, and Fiber lasers which make up the largest growth for 2016. But what does this mean for 2017? Check out the projections here.

The relationship between the automotive industry and laser technology has strengthened in recent years. From reducing CO2 emissions to creating lighter framework, to mixing materials, the use of laser technology is making vehicle development much more efficient. Get the details here.

LIA Updates

Are you looking to expand upon your existing laser knowledge in 2017? Resolve to become an LIA member in the new year. LIA members receive subscriptions to LIA publications, discounts on all LIA products and services, reduced rates at industry conferences, ample networking opportunities, and more! Student rates are now just $25! For more information on pricing, and how to join please visit https://www.lia.org/membership/

Conference News

Did you miss ICALEO® this year? Be sure to check out the highlights from the 35th International Congress on Applications of Lasers and Electro-Optics. Featuring highlights from the congress, the laser materials processing conference, the laser microprocessing conference, the nanomanufacturing conference, and more, be sure to catch up on what you may have missed this October. Find the highlights here.

Laser Additive Manufacturing Workshop (LAM®) takes place February 21-22, in Houston, Texas. Uniting researchers and industry leaders in the sector of additive manufacturing, this is an event you do not want to miss! Registration for LAM® is now open. For more information and to register, please visit https://www.lia.org/conferences/lam

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

Weekly Lasers Wrap Up – Week of December 19, 2016

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

Laser Industry News

Scientists at Cern are using lasers to unlock the secrets of antimatter. The physicists shone a laser on trapped anti-atoms to see if they react differently than atoms. Using a uniquely-designed magnetic trap, the researchers were able to study the effects of anti-hydrogen. To learn more about the team’s findings, check out the original article from BBC here.

A Scottsdale, Alabama church is planned to be repurposed into a commercial office and retail space. The key difference between this and other forms of redevelopment? A 3D laser scanner is being used to measure the space. The company heading the project, Eco3d, used a FARO Focus X330 laser scanner, capable of scanning over 900,000 points per second. A full scan of the building took half a day, which is fractional compared to traditional scanning methods. Learn more about the project here.

LIA Updates

The latest issue of LIA Today is now available. The November/December edition is a year-end review on the state of laser applications, including global laser sales. Also featured are articles on using lasers to increase car efficiency, ICALEO® 2016, Industrial Laser Conference 2016, and more! Find the digital edition of LIA Today here.

Conference News

The Laser Additive Manufacturing Workshop (LAM®) will take place February 21-22, 2017 in Houston, Texas. LAM® 2017 will feature a brand new set of workshop chairs, with a focus on leading additive processes. Milan Brandt (RMIT University) will serve as the General Chair, with Minlin Zhong (Tsinghua University) and John Hunter (LPW Technology, Inc.) serving as co-chairs.

LAM® will feature presentations from companies influencing the international marketplace in additive processes. New to LAM® 2017 is a new session on the emerging area of micro/nano manufacturing. For more information, find the full press release here.

To register for LAM® 2017, please visit the registration page, 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

Weekly Lasers Wrap Up – Week of December 12, 2016

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

Laser Industry News

Mitsui Seiki USA, Inc. unveiled new machining technology at IMTS 2016, which successfully combines additive and subtractive manufacturing technology. The machining tool, known as Vertex 55X-HA, combines a traditional CNC vertical machining center with a laser direct energy deposition/ powder feed nozzle. For more on Vertex 55X-HA and what Mitsui Seiki has planned for hybrid manufacturing technology, check out the full post here.

Computer simulations in which lasers of varying wavelengths are aimed at bacterial colonies in gum tissue reveal a potential solution to dental health problems caused by these colonies. In the simulations, the photonic energy is absorbed by the pathogens, rather than the gum tissues. For more on this research, find the full article here.

LIA Updates

A new and improved Laser Institute of America website is under development and will launch in early 2017. New features will include a members-only access area, improved search capabilities for LIA’s technical archives, free downloadable educational resources, improved international support, and more! Find the official press release here.

This week, LIA formally announced the 2017 Elected Officers, Board, and Fellow Award Recipients. 2017’s Elected Officers are Secretary Dr. Minlin Zhong, Treasurer Gilbert Haas, and President-Elect Milan Brandt. The 2017-2018 board includes Eckhard Beyer, Robert Braunschweig, Corey Dunskey, Lucian Hand, Tracey Johnson, Dr. Markus Kogel-Hollacher, John Lopez, Reinhart Poprawe, Michael Schmidt, Bill Shiner, and Robert Thomas. LIA is also excited to announce that the recipients of the 2017 LIA Fellow Award are Neil Ball and Silke Pflueger. For more information, find the official press release here.

This week, LIA attended the 2016 Power Engineering Conference. Check the LIA Twitter page @laserinstitute for updates from the event.

Conference News

The Biennial International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC® 2017) will take place March 20-23 in Atlanta, Georgia. ILSC® unites laser safety professionals from around the world to discuss all aspects of laser safety. This year’s conference will be chaired by John O’ Hagan of Public Health England and will feature three tracks: Laser Safety Scientific Sessions (LSSS), Medical Practical Applications Sessions (MPAS), and Technical Practical Applications Sessions (TPAS). For more on ILSC® find the full press release here.

Registration for ILSC® 2017 is now open. For more information, please visit the ILSC® 2017 page.

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

Weekly Lasers Wrap Up – Week of December 5, 2016

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

Laser Industry News

This week, Lasers Today featured a guest blog discussing additive manufacturing using hot wire and powder processes. The post gives an in-depth overview of laser cladding, powder cladding, hot & cold wire cladding, including processes and tools used for each. Find it here.

After performing a few updates, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) is back online. Over the last year, updates on LIGO’s lasers, electronics, and other assets have increased its sensitivity by 10 to 25 percent. Check out the interview with Peter Fritschel, the associate director of LIGO at MIT here.

Following the passage of the 21st Century Cures act, the National Photonics Initiative applauds House leaders for their decision. The bill provides $4.8 billion for advanced research on medicine initiatives. The involvement of optics and photonics in health care technology leads to less invasive, more cost-effective treatment for patients. Learn more about the bill here.

LIA Updates

Peter Baker is the first ever recipient of the LIA Leadership Award. This award focuses on “an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in an organization or a company and has significantly benefited the world laser community.  The recipient may have also led to major global impacts in the advancement of laser science, technology, engineering, education or applications.” Baker has lead LIA for 28 years, playing an immeasurable part in LIA’s impact on the laser community. Read the full press release here.

Did you know that Student Membership with LIA is only $25? LIA members enjoy complimentary subscriptions to LIA publications, discounts on LIA courses, conferences, & seminars, networking opportunities, and more! Get the details here.

Conference News

Laser Additive Manufacturing Workshop (LAM) will take place February 21-22, 2017 in Houston, Texas. LAM features presentations from researchers and industry leaders pertaining to the use of additive manufacturing. This year will feature a new session on micro/nano laser additive manufacturing research. Register today 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