NEWS
Laser job shops, not just global entities, need quantum computing – Trumpf CTO Peter Leibinger
The potential of quantum computers to help solve global challenges, such as climate change, is clear, but just as important is their possibility to transform the day-to-day running of businesses, such as laser job shops, said Trumpf’s CTO Dr Peter Leibinger, speaking on a panel at Laser World of Photonics in April. Leibinger told the audience of the World of Quantum conference that five-to-six years ago he asked Trumpf employees whether there were any technical problems that needed solving. It was found that a large number of fundamental questions relating to sheet metal cutting could not be solved. In particular, this involved the complex
calculations needed for ‘nesting’ – a process of getting the greatest possible number of parts out of a single sheet of metal to save material. Fabricators can use specialist software to help with nesting, but this only takes into account the shape of each part, it doesn’t consider other factors such as how to cut parts without causing them to tilt. Many operators therefore opt to carry out manual nesting for more complex jobs, placing the parts on the metal sheet like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Conventional computers are not powerful enough to calculate the perfect nesting solution using all of the required factors in less than a matter of hours or even days. But quantum computers could process these complex computations much more quickly. ‘After a few tests with existing quantum
computers… we found this will be an absolute enabler for us. We must master the use of quantum computing as soon as possible – it will be a differentiator for our business,’ Leibinger said. ‘It’s the day-to-day
Liebinger spoke on a panel at Laser World of Photonics in April
problems, not just the big world problems, that need quantum computers,’ he noted. ‘Very simply, to run your sheet metal shop to deliver products to your customer.’
Pushing quantum forwards Clemens Utschig-Utschig, from pharmaceutical company Boehringer- Ingelheim, said for quantum computing to find its way into industry, the scientific community needs to adjust the way it engages stakeholders. ‘Our language is too binary. We are
so used to explaining things classically, but we need to talk about use cases and applications to get the technology into the industry. The use cases are clear,’ he said. Trumpf’s Leibinger added that bridging the quantum education gap will be important, not only for obtaining talent, but for ensuring quantum development is understood within both the photonics community and within individual companies. ‘Ordinary engineers like myself need to
Nuburu to develop blue-laser 3D printers in new partnership
Nuburu, a manufacturer of high-power and high- brightness industrial blue lasers, has partnered with additive manufacturing (AM) firm, Essentium, to develop and manufacture a blue-laser-based metal AM platform. The new printer will enable
manufacturers to create production-grade parts using reflective metals, with high resolution and fast throughput. Under the multi-year, multi- million-dollar agreement,
Essentium will integrate Nuburu’s blue laser technology with its High Speed Extrusion 3D printing technology for product development in a first phase, and manufacturing in a second phase. The new AM platform will deliver exceptional throughput and extremely high part quality for broad-scale use in major industrial markets, including automotive, aerospace and defence. Nuburu’s blue laser technology
is well-suited to AM applications involving highly reflective
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materials such as copper and aluminium, which reflect much of the energy delivered by infrared lasers – leading to lower print speed and quality. The blue lasers will enable rapid printing of such materials, with very high metal density and without any required post processing. ‘We are excited to work closely with the Essentium team and combine the powers of our existing technologies to develop and manufacture a new transformative platform for AM,’ said Dr Mark
Zediker, co-founder, CEO and president at Nuburu. ‘Our high- power, high-brightness blue laser technology, along with our 3D printing IP, will help Essentium build a powerful metal 3D printer with a wide range of applications.’ ‘Nuburu’s expertise will help enable gains in speed and power within our new platform,’ added Dr Elisa Teipel, chief development officer and co-founder of Essentium. ‘We are looking forward to working with their team and leveraging their technology.’
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understand what is behind this technology. We run the risk that an ivory tower will be created of people who talk with each other and understand what they’re talking about among themselves, but are decoupled from the rest of the world,’ Leibinger highlighted. ‘To stop this happening – in the R&D
departments in our companies, for example – we need to broaden education of quantum technologies in the rank and file of existing organisations. So we need top talent generation, we need ordinary engineering training, but we also need training programmes within our companies to generate an understanding of quantum technologies.’ He added that engineers need a broad
range of skills – understanding both chemistry and quantum technology, for example, or photonic/optics engineering along with quantum. ‘People who only do physics will not be sufficient to bridge that education gap,’ Leibinger said. Reported by Jessica Rowbury.
Messe Munich
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