Applications

MediCom and Limo have developed a laser welding solution for a large German automotive supplier designed according to Industry 4.0

A factory in Birmingham, UK has increased productivity and reduced costs by installing a 3kW fibre laser cutting machine to take over from a CO2 laser system

Satellites being built by Thales Alenia Space will include the largest spacecraft parts ever made in Europe using additive manufacturing

A supplier of automotive engines has automated a new cylinder head line with assembly machines and a robotic laser marking system

German firm Euro-K has enhanced its burners for micro-gas turbines with a design based on metal additive manufacturing

Apple has filed a patent for laser cutting sapphire, a potential cover glass material for the company’s mobile devices

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada has invested in updated laser screw welding procedures as part of a $421 million upgrade to its Cambridge, Ontario assembly plant

A snake skin inspired surface, manufactured using laser etching, has smashed records by providing a 40 per cent friction reduction in tests of high performance materials. A paper discussing this finding is published today (1 June 2015) in IOP Publishing’s Bioinspiration & Biomimetics journal.

Lead researcher, Dr Christian Greiner and his team used a laser to etch the surface of a steel pin so that it closely resembled the texture of snake skin. They then tested the friction created when the pin moved against another surface.

The installation of a new additive manufacturing solution at Faustson Tool has allowed the company to extend its capabilities, offering improved services for its customers from aerospace, aeronautics, defence, energy, medical and semiconductor industries.

Heidi Hostetter, vice president at Faustson Tool which is based in Colorado, US, explained that metal additive manufacturing is of great interest to the company’s aerospace customers. She added that there is a large emphasis on UAVs and defence in the Colorado area.

Disney Research has found a way of creating toys out of soft fabric using laser cutting and an additive process