Lasers have been around for over 55 years and they are capable of welding, cutting, marking, drilling and 3d printing a range of materials. With improvements in efficiency and affordability, UK businesses could adopt them as manufacturing tools more often to improve competitive edge and enhance the personalisation available in the digital economy. Case studies of all the major laser material processes are given and the smartphone and car are considered as examples where the technology is applied. Presentation given at IFB2016 Liverpool by Ric Allott AILU President on 16 June 2016.

1. Lasers have the power
to drive UK Businesses
The Association of Industrial Laser Users
Dr Ric Allott – President
16 June 2016

2. • What is a laser?
• 55 years of progress
• Laser processing applications
• How is the UK leading this technology?
• Who are the global brands already
using laser material processing?
• Case study – Smartphones
• Case study – Automotive
• AILU – promoting laser use
Contents

3. Lasers: invented in the 1960s
“…No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!” - Goldfinger (1964)

4. What is a laser?
Ultra-Violet
(UV)
Infra-Red
(IR)
Visible light
400 nm 700 nm 1,070 nm 10,600100 nm
Fibre laser CO2
• Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
• An intense light source with a single colour (wavelength)
• Light is coherent (in phase)
• Very bright - can be focused to very small spot
Green laser
Excimer laser

5. Laser sources are now:
• More compact
• More efficient (Wall plug efficiency)
• More reliable (solid-state)
• Cheaper per kW
• Brighter (better beam quality)
• Delivered by Fibre Optic (no mirrors)
• Shorter pulses and wavelengths
Improvements (first 55 years)

6. Improvements made (2 kW laser)
1998 2012
1998 2012
Volume 2.3 m3 0.5 m3
Weight 700 kg 150kg
Mains power 80 kW 8 kW
Optical fibre 0.6 mm 0.05 mm

7. UK Laser source/system builders

8. How can lasers be applied?
Robotic cutting (& welding) - Precitec CNC cutting (& welding) - TRUMPF
Manual welding - ROFIN Galvo marking – Domino

9. Focus on: laser cutting
Stainless medical tube - Lastec Hardened gear - Oxford Lasers
Glass cutting - ROFINSteel cutting - TRUMPF

10. Focus on: laser welding
Titanium pacemaker - ROFIN Aluminium alloy wheel - ERLAS
Platinum sculpture - HirstSteel razor blade - Gillette

11. Focus on: laser marking
Day/night marking - ROFIN Aluminium marking - Apple
Aluminium - RenishawStainless steel - Micrometric

12. Focus on: laser drilling
Fuel injector - Oxford Lasers Fuel injector - Coherent
Aerospace holes - IPGThermal barrier coating -Winbro

13. Focus on: laser cladding
Aerospace blade - Hybrid ManuTechTungsten Carbide clad oil drill - TRUMPF

14. Focus on: laser cleaning
Rust removal - General Lasertronics Art restoration – Chapel of the Mantle, Siena

15. Focus on: 3D printing
Airbus bracket titanium - Concept Laser Titanium hip implant - EOS
Bloodhound steering - Renishaw Gold jewellery - BCU

16. Focus on: micro machining
Micro milling - Oxford LasersMould texturing - Fimark
Ink roller – Anilox engraving- ALE Micro lens array - M-SOLV

17. Applications in Smartphones
Wafer
Dicing
Chassis Assembly
Welding
Touchscreen TCO
Ablation
Ceramics
Cutting
Serial number
Marking
Display glass / sapphire
Cutting
PCB Photo resist
Direct writingIC & surface mount
Marking
PCB microvia
Drilling

18. 3D display screen lens manufacture
Synchronised Image Scanning (SIS) – Animation courtesy Pete Sykes, M-Solv

19. ITO display screen patterning
Bow tie scanning method – Animation courtesy Pete Sykes, M-Solv

20. Car body parts
Cutting & welding
Car doors
Cutting & welding
Tyres
Marking
Rear seats
Welding
Labels
Marking
Transmission components
Welding, marking
Indicators
Marking
Painted body
Cutting
Day & night design
Marking
Ventilation systems
Welding
“Drive-by-Wire-System”
Electronic components
Welding & marking
Airbags
Cutting, welding & marking
Injection nozzles
Welding, drilling & marking
Conrod & motor blocks
Scribing
Various filters
Drilling, marking
Mirrors / Glass
Cutting
Automotive Industry – laser applications
Graphic - ROFIN

21. Automotive laser cutting
Video – Tec Systems

22. Automotive laser welding
Video - ROFIN

23. Automotive laser marking
Video - Lasit

24. AILU – Key statistics
250
Members
330
Delegates
(2015-16)
ILAS
Industrial
Laser
Applications
Symposium
Every 2 years
5
Workshops
(2015-16)
220
Delegates
(2015)
12
Countries
50
Job
Shops
45
Laser
Manufacturers
25
Research
Centres
Founded
1995

25. AILU - Publications
The Laser User
Quarterly
E-Newsletter
Monthly
600 print copies 3,000 subscribers

26. What AILU does
NEWS & INFORMATION
EVENTS & NETWORKING
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
ADVOCACY & LOBBYING
CONSULTANCY
ADVERTISING
RECRUITMENT

27. Forthcoming event
Laser Applications in the
Maritime Industry
Maritime Knowledge Hub, Birkenhead
www.ailu.org.uk/laser_technology/events.html
Networking Breakfast
& half-day workshop

28. Thank you for your attention!
Any questions?