ORLANDO, FL, Oct. 2, 2013 — The Laser Institute of America has added a dozen cutting-edge modules to Laser U, its innovative online laser education portal.

Seven of the new courses come from LIA’s Laser Additive Manufacturing (LAM^®) Workshop, while five more emerge from the biennial International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC^®) held in Orlando in March.

Laser U’s online course modules solve two problems for users, giving them access to up-to-the-minute industry content they might have missed at LIA’s events, and providing the ultimate flexibility to learn at their own pace anywhere in the world.

“Laser U gives you practical education that you can apply in your job,” says LIA Executive Director Peter Baker. “Each module is taught by an expert in the field and can be enjoyed at your home or office.”

Once on the Laser U web page, users can search available modules by topic, conference or speaker. Topics range from 3D printing, to drilling, welding, wireless and optical product requirements, and many more. Courses are selected from LAM, ILSC, the Lasers for Manufacturing Event^® (LME^®) and the International Congress on Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics (ICALEO^®).

Among the newest featured presentations are Laser Pointer Characterization and Evaluation at NIST by Josh Hadler with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Consumer Goods Made by Additive Manufacturing by Materialise’s Bart Van der Schueren, and Designer Materials Using Supersonic Laser Deposition by William O’Neill from the University of Cambridge.

Laser U modules consist of the audio of the speaker’s address and the slides from his or her presentation. Users can move throughout the presentation at their own pace, reviewing parts of particular interest. Several modules allow you to view a preview before ordering. Most modules cost $50, while others are offered for FREE. The Laser U website also includes a FAQ and system requirements page for users, as well as a link to contact customer support.

“The idea for Laser U came from feedback during one of LIA’s popular events,” Baker says.

“The reviews were so positive,” he recalls. “I figured if there were 200 people in the course, there might be as many as 2,000 who would need it and benefit from it — but couldn’t get there for one reason or another.”

“Even more important,” Baker stresses, “is the need to continually educate veteran employees vital to the continued adoption of laser technology in automotive, aerospace, medical, energy and defense applications.”

“It has always been clear to me — when I used to design and sell laser systems — that the biggest barrier to the adoption of laser technology is education and training,” he asserts. “We can help manufacturing in this country to adopt laser technology by trying to overcome the barriers for those people who are already in the workforce.” Armed with information from Laser U, he says, online “attendees” can feel more confident interacting with major players in the laser industry and discussing how different lasers and systems can benefit their operations.

For further information or to sign up for modules as they become available, visit www.lia.org/laseru.

 

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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