AILU e-Newsletter No. 16

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November 2009Issue No 16

Prof Lin Li, Manchester University and Chair of the PPI SIG

AILU's new Product and Process Innovation (PPI) Special Interest Group is one of several new SIGs that have been set up to serve the special needs and interests of members, in this case those in academia and other organisations involved in laser materials processing research and development.

Membership is free to those in the research community. PPI Group provides networking opportunities, including a PPI forum on the AILU web site, accessible to members once they have logged in. This forum has already been put to good use for members to review and respond to the research topics identified in AILU's recently completed report on UK research in laser materials processing.

Following Professor Steen and Dr Powell's excellent work collecting information on laser processing R&D capability in the UK (staff, equipment, area of expertise)(click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2), AILU would be interested in collecting more specific information on the impacts and project highlights from UK research groups involved in laser materials processing. If you are involved in this work please review the material in the report and provide an update/entry for your activity. The information that is particularly needed for updating relates to TSB/EPSRC/RDA/Industry funded projects and their scientific and commercial impact.

Please help us keep this information up to date by sending your contributions to AILU Office by 20 December 2009.

Lin Li
E: lin.li@manchester.ac.uk

10 November 2009
New machines will feature at In-Tech 2009
It may still be under wraps but the latest addition to the TruLaser range provides all the benefits of Trumpf technology at an incredible price. Indeed, the lead engineer of the machine’s design team, Stephan Bundschu said, “There is no other laser cutting machine like it on the market.”

9 November 2009
Rofin Laser System Rolls Out Flexible Photovoltaic Products
As the demand for clean energy intensifies, the use of photovoltaics as a source of renewable energy will undoubtably increase as manufacturing and production costs reduce and photovoltaic efficiencies improve

9 November 2009
Laser Cutting Glass-Filled Nylon Gears
Nylon gears are commonly used in many automotive, electronic, and medical applications, as well as in various industrial machines. Nylon gears offer increased service life because they wear less than metal gears (even though they require less lubrication) and reduce gear noise, which is important in consumer products

5 November 2009
AILU support helps establish key UK facility in stent development
By bringing together Swiss Tec AG (a Swiss manufacturer of high-end laser micromachining systems for precision cutting, drilling and welding of complex and intricate work pieces) and the Laser Processing Research Centre at Manchester University, the Photonics KTN has assisted UK academia gain its first laser stent cutting facility; a facility that offers unique clinical and technical services for testing new stent designs and processing technologies and provides researchers in the UK with new opportunities to conduct research in the bourgeoning medical product sector.

Magazine Articles

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

The influence of beam quality, power and wavelength on laser cutting and welding

The laser cutting market is currently dominated by CO2 lasers and the performance of these systems is the benchmark by which the new generation of (1 μm wavelength) fibre and disk lasers is measured. It is not surprising that, with the commercial stakes so high, the comparison has been clouded by oversimplified or over-enthusiastic claims from both sides. We have therefore used the well proven CALCut simulation software originally developed for CO2 cutting and qualified for both CO2 and high power fibre and disk lasers processing to provide a dispassionate comparison.

The mechanisms affecting laser beam propagation and energy distribution in cutting kerfs and welding capillaries are manifold. Furthermore, the effects of gas flow conditions and melt dynamics on the achievable cut and weld quality are important factors. These are topics for continued research and development with significant potential for shifts in, and expansion of, existing laser markets as well as for the generation of completely new markets. This work has shown how new insights into wavelength, beam quality and power effects can be acquired by utilizing the CALCut simulation program. One outcome is the demonstration that there are great opportunities but also objective limits in the relative gain of cutting speed by shorter wavelength and higher beam quality.

Dirk Petring, Frank Schneider, Norbert Wolf and Vahid Nazery Goneghany
Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, Aachen, Germany

IMAGE: Car body welding in action - Courtesy Fraunhofer ILT

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

FDA Title 21: Handling assembly metrology and inspection in Switzerland

Today’s world is full of regulations, and for most people they have no direct impact on day-to-day living. However their indirect impact is with us all the time. This is especially true when something goes wrong and it is then that Regulations may come out of the woodwork. It is true that if you have a paperwork trail proving that you took all the steps required by the Regulation then you may be immune from prosecution but that is not the purpose of Regulations especially if whatever went wrong results in an injury. In the field of medical devices, Regulations are developed as a result of past experience (which, it could be argued, makes them only as good as the last mistake) are set in place to protect the patients. Thus, manufactures of medical devices should strive to go beyond what it is they need to do to comply with Regulations.

In Swisstec, “Current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) requirements” are at the heart of our stent manufacturing system developments so that our customers can be confident that we do understand the needs and requirements in the USA of CFR Title 21 Part 820 quality system requirements, and that they are not just “the Regulations”. The second area of development is the design and integration of real time visual inspection. This development allows measurements to be made as the stent is cut, and when linked into the automated system, adjustments can be applied as real time corrections to the process parameters.

The benefit of this approach is an enhanced contour accuracy at higher cutting speeds, which leads to an increased product throughput in real time.

Alan Boor
Swisstec Ltd, London

IMAGE: Integration of an automated off loading handling system with the laser cutting stent machine

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

Forthcoming Events

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
IMPORTANT INFORMATION _ Medical Device Manufacture - Fine cutting / Precision Manufacturing
“Medical Device Manufacture – Fine cutting / Precision Manufacturing How to build high throughput machines for fine cutting; High speed, high quality picosecond cutting and drilling; Finishing of fine laser cut components; Coating of fine components for the automotive, aerospace, electronic and medical industries; Regulatory conformance testing for precision components.

8-10 December 2009
In-Tech 2009 - Celebrate our UK Premiere with Us
In-Tech 2009 (8th - 10th December) will see the launch of the latest addition to the ever popular TruLaser range of TRUMPF machines following its European Premiere at Blechexpo 1st-4th December 2009

Prof Lin Li, Manchester University and Chair of the PPI SIG

Magazine Articles

Forthcoming Events

Most Gorgeous Part

Special Interest Groups

The Association

Most Gorgeous Part

This gorgeous metal scaffold structure was part of the MCP Tooling Technology display at AILU laser-assisted metal deposition workshop. It was one of the many examples referred to in a presentation given by Chris Sutcliffe of MTT Technology Ltd on the investigations into producing ultra-light aerospace parts with a solid outer skin and an internal matrix construction. Depending on the unit cell design, the matrix can be optimised for mass, thermal and mechanical (stress) properties.

The component was produced using MCP Tooling Technologies' Selective Laser melting or "SLM" process which builds up to 100% dense metal parts using an infrared laser with a focussed beam diameter of 30 µm.

SLM currently has the capability to process stainless steels (including 316L), titanium, copper, cobalt, chrome and tantalum and hope to extend the process to highly reflective metals and ceramics.

Special Interest Groups

Check out the activities of each of our special laser user groups within the Association. Our Special Interest Groups are where like-minded members can get together to discuss recent developments in their field.

Job Shop Group
Subcontract laser-based engineering companies form this group. For more details about their activities, see here.

Market Development Group
The successful launch of the Design for Laser Manufacture site took place in September 2007, see here. To add your own information, images and videos please contact us.

Medical Group
The Medical Group was launched in 2007. To join the group and influence its development, please contact the AILU Office. For more details see here.

Micro:Nano Group
The Micro:Nano Group activities were launched at the 10th Microprocessing workshop in June 2008. For more details see here.

Products & Process Innovation

The aim of the Products and Process Innovation Group is to provide a focus for universities and other organisations involved in laser and/or laser materials processing development and/or research, to identify their common needs and create the possibility of joint initiatives and activities with industrial laser users. For more details see here.

For developers and end users of Additive Layer Manufacturing helping to develop the technology and provide networking opportunities and information about funding sources and competitions

The Association

The Association of Laser Users (AILU) was established in 1995 as an independent, non-profit making organisation run by and for laser users involved in activities such as manufacturing, healthcare, academic and industrial research; as well as suppliers of laser-related products and services.

The aims and objectives of the Association are set out in its Memorandum and Articles of Association. They include the fostering of co-operation and collaboration and the dissemination of information, experience and expertise relating to industrial laser technology, laser materials processing; its applications and related technologies.

AILU has been a partner in the Photonics Knowledge Transfer Network, leading development in high power lasers. Contact the AILU Office for more information about the PPE KTN.