In the early days of industrial laser materials processing, suppliers of products yearned for some recognition of their technology by industry. A term used for laser processing in those days was "unconventional" material processing, a term that laser companies read as negative. Even under that category, lasers never showed up in machine tool statistics. Fast forward several decades and, courtesy of an 18% CAGR, industrial lasers is now a factor in machine tool statistics. In a presentation I will make in Paris later this month, I will show that laser material processing system sales were slightly more than 10% of 2012 machine tool sales. Industry Watch no longer has to scratch to find industrial laser processing news each month. — David A. Belforte
Laser welding tracks for car seats
AWL Techniek has shown through extensive testing that achieving the required tolerances and welding results for tracks is possible using robotized laser welding. Full Article
Hybrid laser welding of rail coaches
Italian manufacturer Tube Tech Machinery has signed a contract with the Czech Republic's Bombardier Transportation for a railway coach production plant. Full Article
Transitioning laser technology from university to industry
This article uses an example of a successful transition from university laboratory to industrial production in laser processing to demonstrate a route for technology transfer from basic science to wealth creation in industry. Full Article
Reproducible copper welding
A prerequisite for laser material processing of copper is direct interaction between the focused laser radiation and the copper surface that requires part of the radiation to be absorbed at the surface. Full Article
Laser hybrid welding: Powerful factory floor process
The laser hybrid welding process combines the characteristics of arc welding and laser processing to get results that neither process can achieve alone. Applications for LHW include rail vehicles, containers, heavy construction, building construction, automobiles, and shipbuilding Full Article
Applications of laser coating removal technology
The Department of Defense operates major maintenance facilities for repair, testing, and remanufacturing of US military weapon systems and support equipment. For more than 20 years, the DoD has been investigating laser coating removal for its potential to reduce costs and waste, and increase weapon system readiness. Full Article
Laser surface modifications at Tata Steel
In the manufacture of steel strip work, components have to perform in exceptionally aggressive environments and withstand service at high temperatures in corrosive atmospheres. The laser cladding process is a method of hardfacing that can be used to increase the wear / corrosion / impact performance of metallic components. Full Article
