FEATURED ARTICLE LME 2014 BY GEOFF GIORDANO


Sapphire cutting for electronic displays, laser marking and processes related to retrieving and transporting oil, were among the leading applications spotlighted at LIA’s fourth Lasers for Manufacturing Event® Schaumburg (IL) Convention Center.


(LME®


Showcases Global Opportunities for Laser Manufacturing Processes


the lasers they brought are for marking — an area of opportunity frequently addressed at LME. “There was some downturn a few years back, but it’s been coming on pretty strong. (There are) a lot of new competitors… a lot of very small companies.”


) on Sept. 23-24 at the


Attendees packed 101-level courses on laser types, laser welding, cost advantages of lasers and laser safety, as well as four keynote addresses at the Laser Technology Showcase Theater in the exhibit hall. Nine working laser systems added to the attraction, as did a new tour of exhibits by Ask the Experts booth chair Rob Mueller.


        the day before LME, painted a broader picture of global opportunities for laser processes. In addition to providing vital statistics on established and often-disappointing emerging markets, the summit offered a fast-paced panel discussion and spirited question-and-answer period providing the kind of insider perspective attendees craved. Five expert panelists tackled questions about the future of feedback control in         will become of CO2


lasers.


Another summit Q&A topic was the shortage of skilled labor to tackle 21st


century manufacturing demands. Workforce-


building efforts to increase the talent pool of laser technicians and process engineers were discussed, including programs at OP-TEC in Texas, LASER-TEC in Florida and the new Midwest Photonics Education Center at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, IA.


Exhibitors displayed products ranging from new lasers to eye


protection. Newcomer Gravotech of Duluth, GA, brought CO2  3 W green laser.


“The people we have talked to have had real interest in projects,” said Andrew Wellons, manager of industrial sales for Gravotech. “Obviously (LME) is laser-focused, so expect to be talking to people who are very well-versed in and focused on lasers.” All


16 LIATODAY FOCUS: SCIENCE & RESEARCH SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014


Coherent noted via Facebook that they brought “our next- generation picosecond laser, our new CO2


laser platform, and our


direct diode laser series.” During Coherent’s Showcase Theater presentation, strategic marketing director Magnus Bengtsson discussed the company’s revamped midpower (150 to 400 W) CO2


line and noted that CO2 laser: “It didn’t get much work,


lasers “continue to be workhorses,


  summit Q&A, panelist Stan Ream noted that when he joined EWI, they still had a 6 kW CO2


so we sold it — and now I wish I had it back. There are things you can do with that wavelength that are just better than you can do with some of the shorter wavelengths,” for example with polymers and other nonmetals.


In terms of process monitoring and product tracking, several new or recently introduced devices drew attention. First-time exhibitor Innovar Systems Limited of North Jackson, OH, showcased its new Enforcer Total Traceability Controller, while Germany’s Precitec unveiled its In-Process Depth Meter and Macken Instruments of Santa Rosa, CA, showed an upgraded product to monitor beam shape.


Making Sense of Markets


In opening the summit, LIA Executive Director Peter Baker noted that it was conceived to give executives “a perspective on the world of lasers in manufacturing, to show you the market, the players, the technology and the opportunity.”


Kickoff speaker Mark Douglass of Longbow Research illustrated a challenging world economy in which the US remains “the best house in a lousy neighborhood.” Douglass, formerly a laser researcher and engineer turned analyst, pointed to sluggish global economic growth in 2014 and 2015. Providing snapshots of industrial markets relevant to lasers, he asserted that Brazil has been “very disappointing” despite World Cup and Olympics hype and government stimulus. Argentina and Venezuela are “basket cases,” and “we’re still waiting for India to grow.” China


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