Photonics & AILU
Design for Laser Manufacture - Inspiring designers to 'think laser'

Case Studies

This page lists a wide range of case studies giving articles, pictures, videos and presentations that illustrate a wide variety of applications where lasers have been used in manufacturing.  These case studies show the benefits that can be gained and are all derived from practical situations within industry.  Provided by a specific organisation, each case study describes one or more laser applications for the manufacture of a particular component.
 

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Resources

110810 Radan keeps the heat off as customers reduce lead times
Supplying finished products for customers across a wide range of different markets helped Spooner Industries remain buoyant during the recession. But with customers reducing their lead times, the period from the production department receiving an order, through to completing the manufacturing process, is getting increasingly shorter. more...
110810 Laser tube cutting at the heart of an innovative business
In an area of 120,000 m2 half of which is taken up by buildings located near Fiorano in the lowlands of Modena is the main facility of Gruppo System, which also has production facilities in Spain, China and USA. The Group is divided into three divisions: Ceramics, which deals with decorating and automation of ceramic products; Logistics, dedicated to automatic handling systems in various industrial environments and Electronics, which creates control and integration systems for industrial production. The three divisions are characterised by one common denominator: the spirit of innovation. more...
110810 Dealing with the laser dazzle hazard in aviation safety
Reports of green laser pointers (532 nm wavelength) being pointed at aircraft are becoming a common event. These sources often prove to be Class 3B and have the capability to permanently damage a persons sight over a range (the Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance) of a few tens of metres or more (see 'Reflections on laser injuries by overpowered laser pointers' in TLU (2011) 62, p14). Whilst aircraft exposure is generally at distances well beyond the NOHDs of such hand held devices, the dazzle hazard remains a major concern. Pilots report having to cover their eyes and others to taking evasive action. more...
110810 Compact excimer lasers in FBG production
Fibre Bragg Gratings (FBGs) have found widespread use in optical telecommunications. They improve the performance of pump lasers in optical amplifiers, act as filters for gain flattening or for highly selective channel selection in wavelength division multiplexing. more...
100216 Precision beam positioning in electronics manufacturing
There has been tremendous progress in industrial laser sources over the past 15 years, particularly in diode pumped solid state lasers. This, combined with improvements in the precision and accuracy of beam delivery and work piece control, is driving many new laser applications in micro-processing. Electro Scientific Industries (ESI) Inc was founded in 1944 in Portland, Oregon, USA, to manufacture high-precision resistance measurement instruments. In the early 1970s , ESI pioneered the development of laser systems for thick and thin film resistor trimming. Since then they have developed many other laser based systems for use in electronics manufacturing. more...
100216 Nanosecond fibre lasers - versatile manufacturing tools
Fibre laser offer users a compact, low cost, reliable and highly efficient source with no maintenance requirement delivering a low total cost of ownership and, after process optimisation, a fit and forget solution. The latest generation of nanosecond pulsed fibre lasers offer a range of pulse options and are available with tailored beam quality giving users great scope for process enhancement. Recent increases in peak powers and pulse energies are opening up new applications in micro-machining. more...
100215 Fresh Ideas for the Packaging Industry
To many consumers, food packaging is seen as little more than an attractive array of bags, stand up pouches, plastic trays and cartons, designed to entice them to purchase the product. For the manufacturers and retailers however, today?s packaging is the result of extensive research and is a high technology product, designed to extend shelf life and freshness whilst providing unprecedented levels of functionality for the user. Many of the features incorporated in modern packaging, which consumers now take for granted, would not be feasible were it not for the processing capabilities of lasers. more...
100215 Case hardening with direct diode lasers
Case hardening is used in many industries to improve the wear characteristics and extend the lifetime of steel parts, such as cutting tools and bearing surfaces. Laser heat treatment is one of several selective hardening techniques, the CO2 laser performing this task in niche applications for over 30 years. However, in the past few years the high power direct diode laser has emerged as a viable alternative source with broader applicability. more...
091030 Photonics KTN 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. more...
090826 TL Precision Welding, Inc. develops new methods for refurbishing turbine engine components
Turbine engine repair and refurbishing is a rapidly growing business requiring specialized equipment and experience. Leading engine manufacturers are more frequently outsourcing this activity, demanding the highest quality work from their suppliers. This requires a dedication to continually improving the laser processes and quality while providing fast turnaround time. TL Precision Welding, Inc. of Houston, Texas is a 12 person laser contract shop started in 1997 that serves this important and growing area of the turbine engine industry. more...
090826 Steriolithography with pulsed UV laser
The advent of highly reliable, efficient, short pulse UV lasers has lead to their adoption in a wide variety of demanding processes. Attractions of UV processing include: high absorption in most materials; tighter focusing and 'cold' (photoablative) processing. more...
090826 Laser-sintering for automated manufacture of dental crowns and bridges
One sector of the growing healthcare industry that is expanding particularly rapidly is the dental market and there are already automated processing centres producing dental restorations of the highest accuracy by laser-sintering EOS CobaltChrome SP2, a biocompatible and CE-certified material. more...
090826 Laser spot welding quadruples production
Fantini Cosmi is a well established media company in Italy. Its extensive portfolio includes a range of pressure regulators for liquid and inert gas, suitable for steam boilers, dyeing machines, irrigation and more. The pressure switches involve a membrane in contact with the fluid, in a stainless steel housing. To improve the welding production process the company chose to invest in laser technology, with a SL120 Nd: YAG laser system from Sisma. more...
090826 Investment to eliminate variable costs
Metal Processes (1959) Limited, one of the UK?s first flat bed laser cutting subcontractors, recently placed two separate orders for Bystronic laser cutting systems, a ByVention and a BySpeed. Metal Processes chairman and director John Hayward commented: ?With laser technological advances improving each year, companies have to follow laser specialists trends and invest in order to expand and provide their customers with the best service possible from the best machines available.? more...
090826 Imperial College ? a first with lasers in South Kensington
The Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College London has greatly extended the manufacturing facilities available to its undergraduates and researchers by investing in a laser profiler. The machine, a pre-owned 1.5kW LVD Helius, was supplied by Rugby based Manufacturing Service Solutions (MSS), specialists in laser cutting machinery and nitrogen generation plants. ?We have an internal market for our manufacturing processes which include CNC milling and turning, rapid prototyping, hard metal machining and fabrication," said Graham Gosling, Design & Technical Manager of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. more...
090826 GSI/Ebtech Industries laser welding cell
Ebtech Industries Pty Ltd is a Melbourne, Australia-based engineering job shop that specialises in welding and marking processes. Established 30 years ago, the company provides electron beam welding and laser marking services to the automotive, aviation, manufacturing and general engineering industries. more...
090826 CNC tube laser provides stockholder with the ultimate in tube processing performance
Stockholding in the past equated to little more than ?breaking bulk?; buying in volume from mills and selling on smaller quantities to lots of different customers. However, as customers began to request material ?cut-to-length?, stockholders responded by offering a processing service using relatively lowtech equipment such as bandsaws and circular saws. Says Ralph Robinson, Managing Director of Barrett Steel Ltd?s Tubes Division: ?We then realised that what customers actually wanted was a finished component, and we knew we could both justify and fund the purchase of the high-tech equipment needed to deliver exactly that, while taking cost out of the customer?s manufacturing process.? more...
090826 AL.PI Srl expands tube processing business
AL.PI Srl, located in Rosà in the province of Vicenza, Italy, has been in the precision metal fabrication and stainless steel, iron and aluminium tube processing business since 1985. The family-run company with 15 employees is managed directly by the owners. more...
081001 Young & Wood keep up to speed with customer demand
For more than 60 years engineering subcontractor Young & Wood of Harlow, Essex, has manufactured a diverse range of components for architectural fittings, commercial buses and the banking industry. The company has recently installed a Syncrono laser cutting machine from Prima Industrie in order to keep production costs down and remain competitive. ?Versatility is a key requirement for us in providing solutions for customers,? explains director John O?Rourke. more...
081001 Swelco order Bystonic equipment
Swelco, the sub-contracting and sheet metal fabrication division of Altron Communications Equipment Limited, one of the leading suppliers of CCTV mounting equipment, has placed an order with Bystronic UK Limited for equipment valued in excess of £800,000. The order comprises a Byspeed 3015 laser cutting system equipped with ByTrans, the intelligent solution for loading and unloading; a rotary axis for an existing Bystar laser cutting system; and two high-specification Bystronic Beyeler Xpert press brakes. more...
081001 Savekers invest in high speed laser tube cutting
A £655,000 investment in two state-of-the-art CNC laser cutting machines from Trumpf at the Birmingham facility of Savekers, an OEM that supplies its innovative range of architectural metalwork items to a host of industries, has introduced benefits that include an impressive reduction in average cycle times of 50-60% . more...
081001 Lasers bear fruit for Cherry Corporation
Since the company?s incorporation by Walter L. Cherry in 1953, Cherry Electrical Corporation has grown to become a household name around the world for its range of innovative electrical products. A key to this success lies in the company?s philosophy to embrace new technology wherever possible. This can be demonstrated most effectively in the development of new manufacturing methods; for example, in the early use of laser technology. more...
081001 Fabricating challenges using multi-axis laser machining
LAI International is a supplier of precision components and sub-assemblies for original equipment manufacturers, operating from several facilities across the USA. For more than three decades, Eric Nelson, vice president and chief technology officer, LAI international, has stayed committed to Laserdyne laser systems. more...
081001 ATM Automation cuts through Polypipe?s flash problem
As a highly respected systems solution provider to the plastics industry, ATM has been involved in many diverse and challenging applications. However, when Polypipe asked ATM to devise an automated solution for the removal of flash from their range of blow moulded Ridgigully products, ATM were presented with a highly unusual combination of design, process and Health & Safety challenges. more...
081001 Added flexibility and major cost savings for Mec-a-Tec
When orders for its specialist conveyor systems went up by 100% in a year, Wisbech-based Mec-a-Tec Services found that it was subcontracting out more and more laser profiling. By investing in an LVD Orion 3015 Plus 4 kW laser cutting machine it not only brought control over the work back in house, it also achieved an almost immediate payback on its investment. Mec-a-Tec is the only UK company to manufacture and supply a complete range of bespoke conveying equipment for beer and beverage can-making and filling plants ? with around 70% of its production being exported to all parts of the world. more...
080701 Trumpf offers road to automation
To help combat a diminishing pool of reliable labour in the northwest of England, eyland-based subcontract fabricator Main Road Sheet Metal has ordered an automated TruLaser Tube CNC laser tube and profile cutting centre from Trumpf. The new machine will complement its Trumpf BendMaster automated bending cell, installed in September 2007. more...
080701 Sorb squeezes maximum benefit from laser cutting installation
SORB Engineers specialise in making the most of its resources. So when it decided to replace its two existing laser machines with a state-of-the-art automated laser cutting cell from Prima Industrie UK, the result was a customised installation delivering faster and more accurate profiling, as well as a ?lights out? capability and 40% extra material capacity than standard. more...
080701 30% cost savings for Doncaster Laser with a preowned laser from World Machinery
Doncaster Laser Logistics Ltd has been manufacturing laser cut components for a wide range of industries including marine, nuclear, automotive, railway and catering since 1997. Founded by Managing Director Earl Pinnock and Production Director Darren Stones, the company has expanded rapidly, recently moving to larger premises in Carcroft, near Doncaster. more...
080401 MedicAlert develops unique laser welding technique
Rofin-Baasel UK recently supplied a manual laser welding system, the StarWeld Performance, to the MedicAlert Foundation. MedicAlert is a registered charity (celebrating their 40th anniversary this year), the only non-profit making registered charity providing life-saving identification jewellery for individuals with hidden medical conditions and allergies. MedicAlert jewellery ?Emblems? are engraved with the owner?s medical condition or allergy, a unique ID number and 24 hour emergency phone number. more...
080401 Duright Engineering?s CNC tube laser machines impart significant business benefits
A huge volume of tube is consumed by UK manufacturing every year. And although annual consumption has remained fairly constant over the last four years, the way tube is processed has changed dramatically, with a sixfold increase in the volume of tube processed by tube laser machines. Judging by the experience of Duright Engineering, a West Midlands-based sub-contractor, the decision to move on from the traditional multi-machine approach can be a hard call to make. Although a well-established business with a 30-year track record, the installation of its first BLM Adige tube laser added 30% to turnover in the machine?s first year of operation....... more...
080401 A cutting edge for Stevens & Carlotti
Life in the subcontract metalworking sector has never been easy. But as Kent-based Stevens & Carlotti has shown, investment in high capability CNC production technology can prove decisive in competing against low wage economies in Eastern Europe and Asia. Established 40 years ago, Stevens & Carlotti has grown to become one of Kent?s largest sheet metal fabricating companies. It has occupied its present site in Sandwich for more than 10 years and, with 75 employees, provides a comprehensive array of cutting, punching, folding, machining, assembly and paint shop facilities. more...
080116 Lasers for Medical Device Manufacturing: Quality in Focus
A Trumpf brochure showing case studies for laser manufacturing in the medical device sector. Laser processing for surgical instruments passive and active implants and marking for long term traceability. It is used for welding cutting and marking of all conventional materials. more...
080116 Article about medical device manufacture using lasers
This article is from Trump?s Laser Community magazine. It describes the advantages that can be found using lasers in manufacturing areas. This article entitled ?Laser technology sets the pace? is focused on the uses in medical device manufacture. more...
071001 Emsea grows with Lantek Expert III
Recognising a gap in the subcontract laser market, Chris Sweet and Mark Causer set up Emsea in Tewkesbury to meet the requirements of manufacturers in the South West of England. Starting with a Mazak X48 Hi-PRO laser in 2004, success was immediate, with the company producing parts for a wide range of applications including prestige vehicles, agricultural equipment and architectural structures. more...
071001 Automated laser cutter marks new era at Ernest Gill
Ernest Gill Manufacturing, a famous Yorkshire-based manufacturer with over 60 years? of trading history is using its continued success to invest in the latest sheet metal processing technology ? a Trumpf TruLaser 3530 laser cutter with LiftMaster sheet handling equipment ? enhancing the company?s competitiveness even further. Formed in 1945 Ernest Gill Manufacturing of Halifax has grown to become a 100-strong company with two main business streams. Firstly the family-owned company is a successful subcontract fabricator to the office furniture, heating, lighting and point of display industries. more...
070816 Multitalented Lasers: Why and where Lasers are used in Industry
Presentation about where are lasers used in Industry. e.g. Research and Development Communications Computers and Electronics Cutting Welding Hardening and Surface Treatment Marking Measurement Bar Code Reading Part Present Sensing more...
070815 Rapid prototyping and tool repair through laser precision cladding
This document provides a review of the laser precision cladding capabilities of the Fraunhofer IWS and includes a good selection of photos of repaired and manufactured parts. ... more...
070815 Micro cutting and drilling with ultra-violet laser light
Report describing the use of a Q-switched UV laser for the micro-cutting of silicon. Laser parameters are provided and examples are given of laser-cut 16 m wide grooves in a wafer of 220 m thickness. The technique allows for the creation of the tiniest cuts and bores in materials made of a variety of metals ceramic disks or silicon wafers. ... more...
070815 Laser Welding and Hybrid Welding Processes
This document describes the laser and hybrid laser welding capabilities of the Fraunhofer IWS and includes a good selection of photos of welding in action. ... more...
070815 Laser beam welding with high power diode lasers
This document addresses the use of diode lasers for carrying out welds on small metal parts that cannot be weld joined satisfactorily neither with conventional welding nor with CO2- or Nd:YAG laser beam welding ... more...
070815 Laser beam hardening with high power diode lasers
High power diode lasers are easily integrated into both simple machines and robots and have a low investment and running cost. The rectangular beam cross section with nearly uniform power density is also advantageous for hardening. Typical laser and process parameters are provided. ... more...
070815 Laser beam hardening of turbine blades
This document summarised the services that the Fraunhofer IWS offers in laser surface hardening the most advanced surface hardening technology. The protective hardening of new and refurbished turbine blade leading edges is reviewed. more...
070815 Laser Beam Build-up Welding
This document provides a useful summary of laser weld repair of components and includes a good selection of application photos. ... more...
070815 Internal sculpturing of glass by subsurface laser engraving
The document describes this amazing technique of internal 2-D and 3-D sub-surface engraving of lead crystal. .. more...
070815 High-power beam deflecting optics for laser beam welding - lasertronic®
In recent years the high-power beam deflecting optics developed at IWS have proven to be successful in several areas of industrial manufacturing including precision welding in spatially limited geometries with high path speeds. Their use enables a highly dynamic motion of the laser beam on any workpiece contour. ... more...
070815 High Power Diode Laser Application Center Dresden
This document reviews the wide range of high power diode lasers applications at the Fraunhofer IWS and includes a good selection of photos of manufactured parts. ... more...
070701 Rautaruukki's investment in laser tube cutting
Rautaruukki ("Ruukki") has facilities in 23 countries, 13,000 employees and in 2006 had a turnover of 3.7 billion Euro. The group?s slogan is ?more with metals?. more...
070701 Laser Welding in the jewellery sector
Baasel Lasertech developed the first manual, pulsed Nd:YAG laser, eye safe spot welder aimed at the jewellery market, back in 1992. Today, Rofin-Baasel is a market leader in the jewellery sector and has over 4,000 lasers installed in it. One of the reasons they claim for this success is their principle of continuous improvement; extensive customer feedback is valued and implemented into subsequent generations of laser workstations. The earliest adopters of manual laser welding (as opposed to automated laser chain welding, for example) were generally jewellery designers and manufacturers. more...
070401 Towards automation of stent manufacture
Current process chains for the manufacture of stents are characterized by multiple manual operations and open loop, batch-oriented quality assurance procedures. New developments call for more uniform stent characteristics and thus for a significantly higher degree of process control. A key element for achieving these aims is a state of the art diode-pumped fibre laser cutting system excelling by speed, accuracy and an outstanding level of process control capability. more...
070401 High contrast marking on metal with minimal debris
Control Micro Systems, Inc.of Winter Park, FL, USA, instead uses a modulated CW fibre laser to generate high contrast marks on metal bearing housings with minimal debris, thereby preventing contamination of bearing surfaces more...