Moreiria da Maia, Portugal – According to some in the industry, pulsed fiber lasers have displaced roughly 70% of the lamp pumped solid state (LPSS) and diode pumped solid state (DPSS) lasers traditionally used in basic marking applications, but they have seen limited success at displacing DPSS lasers in high finesse applications. 

Aachen, Germany – Selective laser melting can produce complex-shaped components in aircraft engines quickly and at a reasonable price, as demonstrated by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT) in the EU-sponsored FANTASIA project. The experts presented their latest findings at the International Laser Technology Congress (AKL’10), May 5-7, 2010, in Aachen, Germany.

Ontario, New York – Optimax, a manufacturing company that provides rapid prototyping of precision optical components, has purchased an Epilog 40 Watt CO2 laser engraver for marking precision optical components.

Devens, Mass. – Rofin-Baasel has moved its manufacturing, engineering, sales, and service facility from Boxborough to Devens, Mass. Rofin’s new space also houses applications labs where process feasibility studies are conducted of laser marking and jewelry welding applications.

Slemsdorf, Germany – ALLTEC GmbH Laser Business Unit has acquired FOBA Technology + Services GmbH, bringing together two companies with 65 years of combined experience focusing on laser marking and engraving.

Bergkirchen, Germany--LEDs are expected to develop as one of the predominant light sources over the coming decades. However, the pace of development differs depending on specific requirements and constraints.

An electronics manufacturer previously experienced several hundred thousand dollars a year in losses when incorrect parts were added to, and/or the wrong operations were performed, on assemblies. The difficulty in tracking assemblies made it necessary to keep more than the desired amount of work-in-process (WIP) inventory. And, a limited amount of space on some of the assemblies made marking the parts a challenge. Claire Lasers developed an application that uses a laser to apply a 2D Data Matrix code to each part.