ORLANDO, FL, August 14, 2013 – Longtime laser industry expert Silke Pflueger will address the impact of and applications for ultra-high brightness direct diodes in her keynote presentation at the Laser Institute of America’s third annual Lasers for Manufacturing Event® (LME®) Sept. 11-12 at the Schaumburg Convention Center in IL.
Pflueger, general manager of DirectPhotonics and an LIA board member, has also served as general manager of ULO Optics, director of marketing and sales for Laserline and sales director for SPI Lasers.
“Laser cutting and welding have long become standard manufacturing technologies, helped by very reliable laser technologies that came into the market in the past 15 years,” she explains. “As the development of lasers has continued, a trickle has become a trend: Established players as well as a few start-ups are pushing into the laser material processing market with ultra-high brightness diode lasers, aggressively pursuing the space previously occupied by fiber, disk and even CO2 lasers. This is made possible by several new architectures that are accessing the inherent brightness of the diode laser material, leapfrogging current diode laser technology. Typically fiber delivered, they are starting to be used for cutting, welding and remote welding due to their high power levels and brightness.”
Pflueger is confident these devices will rapidly become industry workhorses.
“New ultra-high brightness diodes, enabled by advances in semiconductor and packaging technology, are well on their way to becoming the new standard lasers in the 1 µm wavelength range,” she asserts. “With a good enough brightness to tackle most common metal manufacturing jobs, it will ultimately be their efficiency that will turn them into the leading lasers in the market. While immediate energy savings may not be large … diode lasers require fewer and simpler power supplies, smaller chillers (and) a less-complicated optical design, all leading to reduced cost — both for their operation and the original investment.
LME “is aimed at manufacturers who understand that they need to use lasers to upgrade their processes to ensure that they remain competitive in today’s economy,” says LIA Executive Director Peter Baker. The exhibit space is a unique collection of laser providers, system integrators and industry experts sharing real-world experiences and up-to-the-minute information with the goal of employing lasers profitably in big-ticket industries like aerospace, automotive, defense, energy and health care.
Pflueger’s address will be one of four 30-minute keynotes in the highly popular and convenient Laser Technology Showcase Theater in the exhibit area of LME 2013. Other industry luminaries will update attendees on the power of ultrafast lasers, additive manufacturing and 3D printing, and the market for industrial lasers. The education track will also feature basic courses addressing the main types of lasers used for manufacturing, design and economic considerations when putting together a system for your applications, and laser safety.
To learn more about LME or register to attend, visit www.laserevent.org.
About LIA
Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the professional society for laser applications and safety serving the industrial, educational, medical, research and government communities throughout the world since 1968. www.lia.org, 13501 Ingenuity Drive, Ste 128, Orlando, FL 32826, +1.407.380.1553.
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