NEWS In brief
A research centre for the repair and manufacture of turbines has been launched in Aachen, Germany. The International Center for Turbomachinery Manufacturing (ICTM) is a collaboration between Fraunhofer IPT and ILT, and RWTH Aachen University’s Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering. Nineteen industrial partners are also involved in the centre.
Renishaw has announced plans to open a global network of solutions centres for metal 3D printing. The centres will lower the entry barrier to using additive manufacturing.
SPI Lasers, based in Southampton, UK, has ceased production of its lamp-pumped
Nd:YAG lasers and sold its CO2 laser business to the Chinese firm Suzhou Tianhong Laser.
Nashua, New Hampshire-based Resonetics has bought Mound Laser and Photonics Center to expand its laser solutions for medical device manufacture.
A joint project is under way to develop a robust laser welding process for ship building. Led by Laser Zentrum Hannover, the ‘Laser Welding of Steel to Aluminium for Applications in Shipbuilding’ (LaSAAS) project aims to construct hybrid steel-aluminium structures to reduce weight in parts like ship hulls.
LARGEST ADDITIVELY MADE SATELLITE PARTS IN EUROPE PRODUCED
Satellites currently under construction by Thales Alenia Space will include the largest spacecraft parts ever made in Europe using additive manufacturing. The telemetry and command antenna supports for the
Koreasat 5A and Koreasat 7 telecommunications satellites are made of aluminium and measure 45 x 40 x 21cm. Thales Alenia Space used the Concept Laser Xline
1000R 3D printer, the largest laser beam melting machine in Europe. The machine belongs to Poly-Shape, a French company and partner of Thales Alenia Space. The additive production process for the parts gave a 22
per cent weight saving, a decrease in the production schedule of around one or two months, around a 30 per cent cost saving, and higher performance, according to Thales Alenia Space. The two parts, featuring an innovative bio-design, have
just passed their vibration acceptance tests, demonstrating perfectly reproducible dynamic behaviour. An antenna support of this type is already in orbit since April 2015 on the TurkmenAlem satellite also built by
Antenna supports for the satellites were made additively
Thales Alenia Space. The Arabsat 6B satellite, scheduled for launch from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana in November, includes 3D-printed tripods. One of Thales Alenia Space’s primary strategic
objectives is the transformation of its industrial capabilities, also an indispensable step for the company to meet evolving market demand in terms of cost and deadlines.
Proto Labs buys additive manufacturing assets of Alphaform
Rapid manufacturer Proto Labs has purchased select assets and operations of German-based manufacturer Alphaform. The deal extends Proto Labs’
additive manufacturing capabilities across Europe by adding selective laser sintering, direct metal laser sintering and additional stereolithography capabilities. Alphaform is a service bureau
headquartered in Feldkirchen, Munich, Germany. The acquisition includes
Alphaform divisions operating in Germany, Finland and the United Kingdom. The acquisition also includes
the injection moulding service currently offered by Alphaform Claho, in Eschenlohe, Germany. MediMet Precision Casting and
Rofin responds to critical open letter to shareholders Silver Arrow intends to
A UK-based group of private investors, Silver Arrow Capital Advisors, has published a scathing indictment of Rofin’s management in an open letter to the company’s shareholders. Silver Arrow owns nine per cent of Rofin-Sinar Technologies. Rofin released a statement
in response to the criticisms pointing to a doubling of year-to-date net income for 2015, increased gross margin to nearly 40 per cent, and strong sequential sales growth in fibre and ultrashort pulse lasers. ‘The board and
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management team of Rofin-Sinar Technologies Inc. are committed to executing on our strategic plan to drive growth and profitability. This effort is gaining momentum, as evidenced by our very strong financial results for the most recently reported fiscal quarter,’ the statement read. Silver Arrow criticised what
it called ‘Rofin’s misguided strategy, poor board oversight and ineffective management’ as reasons for what Silver Arrow felt was underperformance in Rofin’s stock over the past five years.
LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE ISSUE 29 • WINTER 2015
nominate three directors at Rofin in the 2016 annual meeting of shareholders. Rofin reported strong
growth in quarterly earnings this year – 78 per cent in Q3 2015 and 95 per cent in Q2 – but net sales dropped in 2014. Thomas Merk, who was
appointed CEO earlier in the year replacing Günther Braun, commented on the Q3 2015 results: ‘The continued strong demand for our high-power fibre lasers – resulting in 29 per cent sequential growth in
Implants Technology, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Alphaform AG is not part of the transaction. ‘We believe Alphaform will
expand our share of the additive manufacturing market in Europe,’ said Vicki Holt, Proto Labs CEO. ‘This opportunity is also an ideal complement to our existing business.’
unit sales – show that our technological advancements and vertical integration are paying off.’ He added that ultrashort pulse lasers are Rofin’s second growth focus, with sales increasing by 50 per cent sequentially. However, Silver Arrow
said that Rofin had missed opportunities, both in the Asian market, and by entering the fibre laser market late in its growth stage. IPG Photonics, a leading provider of fibre lasers, has posted strong growth in materials processing over
the last two years. Silver Arrow had previously
asked for minority representation in Rofin’s board of directors, but the request has so far been refused. Rofin’s statement in
response to Silver Arrow’s letter concluded: ‘We remain confident that our existing growth strategy will continue to deliver attractive value to all shareholders. We also welcome input from all shareholders towards our common goal of enhancing shareholder value.’
@lasersystemsmag |
www.lasersystemseurope.com
Thales Alenia Space
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