With laser technology playing an important role in global manufacturing and production, it’s important to stay abreast of trends in the industry as well as look ahead to new application possibilities in the future.
At TYKMA Electrox, we take great efforts to follow industry news and developments, and we’ve profiled a few of them for you here:
1. New Materials
Pushing forward laser capabilities, Providence, Rhode Island company Laser Research Optics has produced a new line of CO2 mirrors and lenses to be utilized with laser marking and engraving equipment.
These new mirrors and lenses create sharper cuts with fewer passes, meaning increased efficiency and precision. Also, with coatings of < 0.2% of the total absorption value, these lenses stay cooler and prevent overheating. Additionally, the enhanced silver DMBR coating boosts these materials’ reflectivity to 99.6%.
With innovations like these bolstering the laser marking industry, it’s easy to see that great things are on the horizon in terms of productivity!
2. The Growth of Fiber Lasers
Fiber laser technology is distinct from traditional YAG laser technology in that fiber lasers are more efficient and utilize less power than their YAG counterparts. In fact, TYKMA Electrox’s fiber lasers are able to produce materials 10 times more efficient while also consuming little to no energy while in standby mode.
Some of the applications for this type of laser include:
- Marking
- Engraving
- Edging
- Welding
- Cutting
- Fine processing
- Micro processing
And these applications are used in industries as varied as:
- Medical
- Automotive
- Tooling
- Electronics
- Aerospace
- Sporting goods
- Oil & gas
- Industrial
- Military & defense
- Home goods
- HVAC
With such diversity in their usage, it’s not surprising that the fiber laser market is experiencing such rapid growth. For a more detailed breakdown of the benefits of fiber laser systems (and their superiority over traditional YAG lasers), click here.
3. Exciting New Techniques
Possibly the most eventful recent news that could have a significant impact on the laser marking industry comes from a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by researchers at the University of Washington.
Utilizing an infrared laser, the researchers were able to cool liquid water by 36 degrees Fahrenheit/20 degrees Celsius, making it the first time lasers have been able to decrease the temperature of an object instead of increasing it.
While future applications of this new process are only speculative at this point, the laser marking industry will be watching developments very closely to see how this “cold laser” technology could be utilized for products and services going forward. It’s certainly an exciting time for the industry!