Press Releases

From novices to experienced users: The „AKL – International Laser Technology Congress“ offers insights into the latest developments in the area of laser technology. With more than 600 international participants, over 70 speakers from research and industry and the accompanying Sponsors‘ exhibition the AKL has established itself as the leading forum for applied laser technology in Europe.

The strict conditions on the use of hexavalent chromium for corrosion and wear protection coatings, which will take effect in the EU in September 2017, hit the manufacturers of highly stressed metal components particularly hard. One such company is IHC Vremac Cylinders B.V. in the Dutch city of Apeldoorn. The hydraulic cylinders it manufactures, which often measure many meters in length, have to withstand rough maritime conditions for years. With its choice of an award-winning alternative to hard chrome plating, this Dutch manufacturer has become the first company in the world to coat its components using the EHLA technique developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen.

Taking electronic devices apart that are no longer in use to recover valuable raw materials – this is an essential aspect of the future of urban mining. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is taking a pioneering role internationally in the EU project »ADIR - Next generation urban mining - Automated disassembly, separation and recovery of valuable materials from electronic equipment«. Launched in September 2015, this project is scheduled to run until 2019. It comprises nine project partners from four countries, who are researching how strategically important materials from old cell phones and printed circuit boards can be retrieved and recycled. The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen is coordinating this project, which is being funded by the EU as part of the Horizon 2020 program.

From June 26 to 29, the laser community met again at the LASER World of PHOTONICS in Munich. The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT was there with more than 50 exhibits from the various fields of applied laser technology and beam-source development: This year the spectrum ranged from diode and fiber lasers to new measurement technology all the way to complete machines for additive processes or even laser systems for space.

A European transnational consortium led by Maastricht University (UM) will spend the next few years developing innovative bone implants. These implants will offer an alternative to repeat surgeries, prolonged medication use and donor tissue implementation following complex bone fractures. This innovative partnership will also give the participating regions a significant economic boost. The official kick-off of the international research project BONE, which stands for Biofabrication of Orthopaedics in a New Era, will be held on Thursday 6 July in Paris, France.

Diamonds are not only a girl's best friend, but synthetic diamonds are also attractive as a material for laser optics: thanks to their extremely high refractive index and excellent heat conduction, laser optics made with them are ten times lighter than conventional laser optics. Fiber lasers in the kW range could, thus, operate with greater flexibility. Three Fraunhofer institutes have optimized the production and processing of diamonds in recent years, and the first cutting system with diamond lenses is being tested.

For their joint project, the Aachen Center for 3D printing, the Aachen University of Applied Sciences and the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT have ambitious plans. On June 1, 2017, they officially opened the world’s largest SLM facility, located in the new Digital Photonic Production industry building on the RWTH Aachen campus. Concept Laser’s new XLine 2000R selective laser melting system plays a pivotal role in the SLM-XL research project, which is intended to accelerate and optimize the entire manufacturing process for large, metal components. Scientists are working closely with the Digital Photonic Production research campus, which is located in the same building and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Germany counts high-precision manufacturing processes among its advantages as a location. To retain this technological edge, many companies already have to process metal components to the exact micrometer with zero waste. It’s not just the aerospace and automotive industries that require almost waste-free, high-precision manufacturing in the micrometer range to provide an energy- and resource-efficient way of testing the shape and orientation tolerances of products during the manufacturing process. Since current inline measurement technology not yet provides the required accuracy, the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT is collaborating with four renowned industry partners in the INSPIRE project to develop inline sensors with a new accuracy class. Funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the project is scheduled to run until the end of 2019.

Components are protected against corrosion and wear through hard chrome plating, thermal spraying, laser material deposition or other deposition welding techniques. However, there are downsides to these processes – for example, as of September 2017, chromium(VI) coatings will require authorization. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen as well as the RWTH Aachen University have now developed an ultra-high-speed laser material deposition process, known by its German acronym EHLA, to eliminate these drawbacks. On May 30, 2017, the research team was awarded the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for this work.

“The laser is a solution seeking a problem,” said Ted Maiman in 1964. Today, the laser has proven the best solution to an array of problems. At LASER World of PHOTONICS 2017 in Munich/Germany, the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT will be demonstrating how it is using process technology to enable efficient laser applications in a range of sectors, thereby driving forward Digital Photonic Production in the 21st century.