With Lasers For Manufacturing Event (LME®) right around the corner, laser manufacturing is at the forefront of our minds. This week, we took a closer look at the use of lasers for manufacturing and lumber processing. The use of lasers in lumber processing is expansive, with applications in cutting, marking, engraving, and drilling holes. Lasers have a number of advantages over other manufacturing and traditional processes in terms of automation and quality control. See the recent post at www.laserstoday.com to learn more about the many ways lasers are used in lumber processing. Planning to attend LME®? Don’t forget to enter our LME® Attendee Giveaway. Attendees who enter the contest are eligible to win a Drone UDI Quadcopter, a FitBit Flex, or a $50 Steam Giftcard. Find out more! for rules and how to enter.
Already registered for LME®? Be sure to check out the Lasers for Manufacturing Event Advance Program. The program provides an early glimpse into the courses, topics of discussion, the exhibition layout, hotel information, and more. Visit https://www.lia.org/conferences/laserevent to view the informative program before your arrival.
Can lasers be used to help stop accidental food poisoning? Thanks to research performed at Zhejang Normal University, Jinhua, China, lasers may be making their way into our home refrigerators and grocery stores, sooner rather than later. Using a tunable diode laser on biological materials, the researchers were able to detect changes in CO2 levels, created by traveling microorganisms. Rather than trusting a sell-by date, we may soon be able to know if raw chicken is contaminated with salmonella, without even touching it.
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A recent TED talk hosted by researchers Steve Ramirez and Xu Liu discusses the possibility of memory editing, through a concept called Optogenetics. During the experiment, the researchers aimed to activate a memory at the flip of a switch. Monitoring the active brain cells during the creation of a memory, Ramirez and Liu used a laser on the brains of mice to “reactivate” the newly formed memory. Curious? Check out the story and video at: http://www.laserstoday.com/?p=4825
Did you know that 20 years ago, the excimer laser was approved by the FDA for optical use, opening the doors for LASIK (laser assisted in situ keratomileusis) procedures? With over 28 million LASIK procedures performed worldwide, lasers have been instrumental in the vision restoration for individuals everywhere. Learn more about the history behind the operation that has changed numerous lives for the better at http://www.laserstoday.com/?p=4827
The March/April edition of LIA Today, the official Laser Institute of America newsletter, is out now. This edition focuses on Lasers in Manufacturing. Learn more about LME® taking place April 26–27 in Atlanta, GA. Take a look at the impressive “Photon Factory” located at the University of Auckland. Learn more about the production of lithium ion batteries. Be sure to check out our Lasers for Additive Manufacturing (LAM®) recap, where we give you a fly-on-the-wall perspective of the event. Take a look at the digital edition here.
The Future of Laser Technology Trend Report is now available for download. The report covers important, current issues in laser technology and applications such as alternatives to traditional manufacturing applications, military use of laser technology, and the rise of 3D printing for consumer and medical use. Download the report.