NEWS LASERS IN ACTION
Trumpf acquires ultrashort pulsed laser manufacturer
Trumpf has acquired Aachen-based ultrashort pulse laser manufacturer Amphos in a move to strengthen its own technology offerings. The purchase price was not disclosed. Amphos was founded in 2010
as a spin-off of RWTH Aachen and the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT. The firm develops and produces
ultrashort pulsed lasers using its own InnoSlab technology, which was originally developed by its founders while they were still part of the Fraunhofer institute. With it they are able to achieve high output powers for manufacturing and research applications. Christian Schmitz, head of
Trumpf’s laser technology division, commented: ‘InnoSlab technology allows us to consolidate the technological leadership of Trumpf.’ Amphos’s ultrashort pulsed
lasers offer output powers between 200W and 400W, with its additional high-power lasers for research applications reaching as high as 1.5kW.
TWI PROJECT TO DEVELOP REAL-TIME LASER WELD MONITORING
Welding research institute TWI has been working with laser giant Coherent and automotive manufacturer Sodecia to produce a real-time fibre optic monitoring system for laser welding. The ActFast project, due to be
completed at the end of 2018, aims to address the need for quick, reliable, and cost-effective detection of weld defects. The sensors developed for the
project use light reflected to the process head from the workpiece to detect changes indicative of misalignments, weld defects and contamination or damage of optics. Four types of sensor will be used
in the fibre optic system: photodiodes, to detect intensities and wavelengths of radiation from the fibre; sensors for measuring differences in temperature between the inlet and outlet cooling water, capable of detecting changes as small as 0.01°C; absolute temperature sensors, to gain status information about the general
In brief
New CEO and vice president of GE Additive, Jason Oliver, will now lead the company’s operations, including those of its subsidiaries Concept Laser, Arcam and GeonX. Oliver will report to GE vice chairman David Joyce.
Advalue Photonics, based in Tucson, Arizona, USA, has expanded its applications lab for laser material processing. The laboratory is equipped with four laser workstations, including the latest Advalue Photonics industrial fibre lasers, as well as metrology equipment for evaluating process results.
4 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE ISSUE 38 • SPRING 2018
Working principal of the active sensors inside a fibre optic cable
condition of the fibre optic connector; and humidity sensors, which give information about the environmental climate inside the fibre optic connector. The ActFast project not only
seeks to improve the detection speed, accuracy and real-time data processing of weld monitoring, but also looks to develop a database for system calibration and teaching. The project will also compare the results of the new fibre optic system with existing laser weld monitoring and control solutions.
The sensors are integrated to the
interlock circuitry of the laser, allowing the system to be shut down without damaging the optical components. The device will also give quick and accurate alignment of optical components without the need for external equipment. While the project will initially
examine sensory capabilities in relation to automotive components specified by Sodecia, Coherent expects that ActFast could be useful in other industries, including aerospace and power generation.
UK laser marking firm founded following Coherent rationalisation
A new UK laser marking firm, ES Precision, has been established from ES Technology, the Rofin-Baasel UK subsidiary that was closed because of rationalisations made by Coherent. Based in Oxfordshire, ES Precision
opened for business in October 2017 after founders Andrew May and Tim Millard bought the assets and customer base for ES Technology’s laser marking service. May was also the founder of Baasel
Lasertech UK in 1995, which later became Rofin-Baasel UK and will soon become Coherent-Rofin UK. As part of Coherent’s $942 million
acquisition of Rofin-Sinar Technologies in November 2016, the American laser giant
was also required to sell the UK division of Rofin-Sinar last year to address the European Commission’s competition concerns regarding the merger. ES Precision offers laser processing for
the medical device, aerospace, electronics and general engineering industries, as well as Formula 1. According to Millard, now managing director of ES Precision, the firm has eight workstations, currently operated by six staff. ‘Turnover for the first quarter was well
ahead of expectations, so we’ve entered the new year with a very solid start,’ Millard said. ‘We’ve taken on some part-time staff in addition to six permanent staff to meet the demand peaks.’
The firm’s lasers include a 200W CO2
galvo-delivered source that can drill and cut organic materials at very high speed, as well as a lower power CO2
laser with
automatic reel-to-reel feeding used to mark data onto any shape label required. ‘We’ve also got UV, fibre and vanadate
lasers with galvo delivery, so we can optimise marks on virtually all materials,’ explained Millard. ‘We have a tool room to fabricate fixtures so repeat customers are guaranteed consistent results. The business model needs customers who have a regular permanent identification, or decorative need, for their products, so ensuring every customer is happy with our service is, of course, essential.’
@lasersystemsmag |
www.lasersystemseurope.com
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