ANALYSIS: THE PHOTONICS LEADERS


“There is quite some competition for talent, but we have a special offering”


physical ones, and even one chemical one. Having that portfolio helps us to cover almost everything that comes from laser development.


The company’s highest-profile visitor has been Dr Angela Merkel, who made a special visit to Laseroptik HQ in 2021 ›


ourselves. That was when customers were approaching us with demands that you cannot cover with standard, off-the- shelf machines – for example, our large optics. No one offered machines in that size, or with that technology, which we wanted to push forward. So we made them ourselves. It’s unique, and helped to emphasise the reputation that we have in the world for the really special optics that we create.


Back in 2007, you were uniquely adopting and using IBS coating techniques in Europe. Although they were available in the US, that must have made a big difference to your reputation Before us, there were institutes in Europe offering it and, of course, some skilled US suppliers. But we decided this technology had the right production maturity and was ready to go for production. We started with one machine, and, today, it’s 18, running 24/7. Some of them have been modified and we built some ourselves for special optics. So that was a very good decision that has helped us to get where we are today.


Any regrets or bad decisions? There have been some machine


20 Electro Optics May 2024


experiments that I will not talk about too long! But, as in physics, not all the experiments are successful. And I wish I had started with IBS earlier, that’s for sure.


You have a huge range of coating machines today and a lot of output. Has that been a gentle journey or have you had to increase capacity in big bursts? Our company is now 40 years old and, in total, it’s 40 machines today. So the average is one per year, but there have been very busy years when certain parts of the market were pushing a lot. So, it became two or three machines that were installed in those years.


[Each machine] is a big investment, right? Yes, and it’s not just money. It’s also about work time. We modify them to get them to the quality level and sophistication that we need.


Which of the markets are you most strongly focused on? Our biggest customers are in laser applications for industrial processes. That means cutting, marking, welding, and the hype in electro-mobility has pushed that market a lot in the past couple of years. A lot of laser optics [are required]


for the systems that create the batteries.


Could you explain some of the principles that drive your approach to customer management? We see our customers as partners, and we have no sales people travelling around. I believe our best marketing is our reputation. Those who have complex requirements for laser mirrors really do know who to approach.


What differentiates you from other suppliers? In total, we apply six coating methods, which includes five


A history of collaboration underpins much of the company’s story to date. Is that still important today? Definitely. The way we work with our customers is very close – not just technology-wise, but also person-wise. We like to look behind the scenes of who we are working with.


Customisation must be absolutely critical to almost all of the product development that you do here? That’s correct, because there are standard laser optics and coatings you can get from any catalogue. We can’t focus on that in Germany anymore; we have to concentrate on things that are challenging.


We live in difficult times. What are your particular business challenges today? It can be difficult to get critical products. For example, highly sophisticated substrates, such as super-polished substrates, require you to find the right


Laseroptik was founded by Dr Johannes Ebert in 1984 www.electrooptics.com


Laseroptik


Laseroptik


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