Jobshops struggling through the recession.

Well .. everyone's been struggling for nearly a year now, and I think we've all got the feeling that we've seen the worst of it (or maybe we're just getting used to it). My own opinion is that the recession will officially end on my birthday - the 6th of March.

One of the biggest problems has been the stupidity of the insurance firms - who have stuck to the same credit rating calculations they used before the recession - which are totally useless this year. Just like the banks, this bunch of semi-numerate dunderheads are totally useless when trading is tough.

Well - on a lighter note - things are starting to look up for those of us who are still on their feet - and we will all have a good opportunity to exchange tall stories of how well we dealt with the recession at the annual jobshop meeting on the 28th of October.

Bring your favourite 'stupid bloody banker/insurance man/supplier' story.

And don't forget - by the 6th of March it will all be over. (The profitability of your firm after this date will be directly related to the value of the birthday present you send me - beer or curry vouchers, cheques and all major credit cards are accepted).

John Powell

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6 October 2009
ISO leadership award recognizes "visionary" achievements by optics standardisers
The achievements of an international team developing standards for optics and photonics — which cover such products as contact lenses and telescopes — were recognized yesterday through the presentation of the Lawrence D. Eicher Leadership Award at the 32nd ISO General Assembly in Cape Town, South Africa. Every year, the award acknowledges superior performance by one of ISO's standards development groups. The 2009 award has gone to ISO technical committee ISOITC 172, Optics and photonics.

2 October 2009
“Be Safe and Save” Trade-in Discount with UNIVET Laser Safety Eyewear from ES Technology Limited
Just like all items which are used every day, Laser Safety Eyewear eventually suffers from the rigours of constant use. Frames may be loose, damaged or uncomfortable and lenses become scratched, impairing the performance and vision of these safety critical items.

22 September 2009
The new YW52 high-power Welding Head
The integrated WobbleTracker welds seams that are exactly positioned and only as wide as necessary! Welding variable joint positions is a challenge which not every welding head can master. The tools of choice here are intelligent welding heads. They measure the position of the joint in order to place the weld seam at the correct position. Every welding task also requires a spot size that is adapted to the application - and the effective width of the laser beam can be flexibly optimised from one seam to another, ensuring a stable process. The weld seam width is thus only as wide as necessary, enabling the highest possible welding speeds

16 September 2009
EO Technics acquires Powerlase
EO Technics Co., Ltd., a Korean-based manufacturer and a developer/ manufacturer of laser based equipment in the fields of semiconductor, microelectronics, PCB, FPD, PV has acquired the Powerlase laser business and assets.

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The articles below are from the Summer 2009 Issue of the AILU Magazine

Laser pulsing adds microstructure control to rapid prototyping

The technique of laser direct metal deposition (LDMD), has attracted much attention from the aerospace industry for the manufacture and repair of titanium- alloys and nickel base superalloys. LDMD permits near-net shape layered manufacturing so offers an opportunity to reduce material wastage during manufacture, and the ability to obtain a full density fusion bond with the substrate has allowed economical component repair within service and maintenance packages such as Rolls-Royce’s TotalCare. Traditional weaknesses of the process, preventing widespread deployment in industry, have been low build rates and unpredictable microstructure. However, due to the complexity of aerospace manufacture, and the relatively small part that laser processing plays in it, LDMD is not on the critical path, so attention in this field has focused on the microstructure rather than on the build rate. Now, work involving academic and industrial partners has highlighted a possible solution.

There is a need for further research into the method. It has been found that some combinations of pulse parameters can affect track geometry and that quantitatively predicting the effects of pulsing is difficult. An initial analytical model has been developed but FE analysis will ultimately be needed. To implement the technique fully there will also need to be technological support. The real-time process monitoring and control systems in LDMD systems will be crucial to the production of desired microstructures and the lasers that accompany them will ideally need the have the ability to modify pulse parameters in real time. But the aerospace industry is continuously looking for higher performance materials and adding microstructural control to LDMD could provide just that for geometrically complex parts. 

Andrew Pinkerton and Richard Moat
The University of Manchester

IMAGE: Co-axial deposition head in action

AILU members can log in to the AILU web site and download this article free of charge. Otherwise click here to order a copy’

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Laser joining for packaging in MEMS applications and micro-devices

Over the past few years the interest in Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) and Micro-Optical-Electrical-Mechanical-Systems (MOEMS) from research institutions, industrial firms and the press has risen considerably. Of particular interest are lab-on-a chip devices where many subsystems (ICs and MEMS) are assembled to a functional system for medical and bio-photonic applications. To date the main focus has been on the devices themselves; the research and development of low cost, high reliability assembly and packaging has been rather limited, and as a result current MEMS packaging costs can reach up to 90% of the overall device costs.

MEMS are sensors and actuators on a micro- and nanometre scale incorporating mechanical elements and electronics. They are normally built on a common silicon substrate through microfabrication technology, although alternative technologies using different materials are being increasingly developed. MEMS are commonly known for the realisation of “lab-on-a-chip” devices where many subsystems (ICs and MEMS) are assembled together to make a functional system.

The Heriot-Watt group has demonstrated the feasibility of laser-based glass frit bonding of a range of miniature packages, important for MEMS and related applications. The laser provides localised heat energy, preventing damage to temperature-sensitive materials or dis-assembly of other components of the overall system. Glass frit is an ideal material to use, as it conforms well to the surfaces being joined, provides good hermeticity, and the temperatures required are relatively modest.

Norbert Lorenz and Duncan Hand
Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh

IMAGE: Display of different types of samples packaged by laser joining process: AlN package & a TO-5 Cap

AILU members can log in to the AILU web site and download this article free of charge. Otherwise click here to order a copy’

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20-21 October 2009
MM LIVE 2009
MM Live is a global showcase for everything to do with the mass manufacture of small to micro precision parts, whether a company can make them to order or supply the machinery to mill, cut or mould. Companies from all industrial sectors are embracing the potential micro manufacturing can offer. As consumers demand small, lighter, and more portable products, MM Live offers the manufacturer the solutions. Exhibits cover the full spectrum of micro manufacturing techniques from laser cutting, welding, and micro machining to injection moulding, inspection & measurement, photo etching, handling and assembly.

28 October 2009
Job Shop 09: Surviving the Recession
The annual business meeting dealing with topical subjects in the laser sub-contract sector. Non-AILU member job shops are welcome to attend. An opportunity to learn, to network and to discuss the major issues of the day.

2-5 November 2009
ICALEO 2009
The International Congress on Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics (ICALEO) has a 27 year history as the conference where researchers and end-users meet to review the state-of-the art in laser materials processing and predict where the future will lead. From its inception, ICALEO has been devoted to the field of laser materials processing and is viewed as the premier source of technical information in the field.

19-21 November 2009
EXPOlaser 2009
Piacenza exhibition centre will host EXPOlaser again. Thanks to successful results of previous exhibitions, the show is the national reference event dedicated to industrial applications of laser technology. 200 exhibitors and represented firms attended EXPOlaser 2007, with more than 6500 professional visitors coming from Italy and abroad (Germany, Austria, France and Switzerland). This year's show is expected to be even better.

24 November 2009
Medical Device Manufacture – A case study in Stents
“Medical Device Manufacture – A case study in Stents” Preliminary Notice Open full day workshop of workshop and tour of laser processing machine.

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