T he ANSI Z136 committee met in Rockville Maryland on March 16, 2006. There are several members of the Health Physics Society who are members of this committee, and at least three are certi- fied health physicists (CHPs). A major interest of most health physicists is the issuing of new and revised laser safety standards. Proposed Z136.1 Standard Changes The primary laser safety standard, Z136.1 Safe Use of Lasers, is currently in the editorial review process. Its expected published date is late 2006. The new standard and future stan- dards should be in a new single column format that is easier to read and an index is planned for all new standards as well. There were discussions in the technical sub- committee of changes for the 1.2 to 2.6 micron wavelength MPE (maximum permissible expo- sure) limits within Z136.1. Currently, the MPE limits follow a “step function” and the revision would have the effect of slightly raising the exposure limits in most of this wavelength regime. Additionally, example calculations will be added in the future to Appendix B of this standard, with the goal of having an example for every part of the standard. A proposal was made to completely revise May/June 2006 LIA TODAY LIA TODAY The Official Newsletter of the Laser Institute of America The professional society dedicated to fostering lasers, laser applications, and laser safety worldwide. 13501 Ingenuity Drive, Suite 128; Orlando, FL 32826 Phone: 407.380.1553 Fax: 407.380.5588 http://www.laserinstitute.org Volume 14, Number 3 New Nanotechnology Center Announced U.S. Secretary of Comm- erce Carlos M. Gutierrez announced in March the launch of a state-of-the-art center for collaborative nan- otechnology research at Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Scientists from U.S. companies, universities and government will focus on overcoming major technical obstacles to cost-effective manufacturing of products made with components the size of atoms and molecules. CNST also houses a Nanofabrication Facility, or Nanofab. This large “clean room” is equipped with a still-growing array of state-of- the-art tools for making, test- ing and characterizing proto- type nanoscale devices and materials. These instruments will be available to collabora- tors and to outside users. Fiber Lasers Market to Grow Fiber laser sales will grow by over 35% per year from In The News... Annual Meeting Focuses on Laser Safety Updates (Cont. on pg.14, see In The News…) (Cont. on pg. 8 see ANSI) R ecognizing the rapid movement of the laser out of previously sheltered environments in labs and industry, the Laser Institute of America (LIA) encour- ages members to join or form broad regional groups putting membership to work to build better, safer laser application communities. Jim Naugle, LIA marketing manager, reports, “As part of LIA’s commitment to pro- mote laser applications and safety worldwide, three chapters have recently been formed – Great Lakes, Western and Northeast regions. Each chapter serves the unique needs of its members.” (For more information on how to join and volunteer to help with LIA’s chapters, see Chapter Corner on page 13.) Why Are We Here? Because They’re All Around Us Opening the first formal meeting of LIA’s Great Lakes Chapter in Plymouth Township, Michigan this April Co-chairs Mike Klos of Laser Mechanisms and Susan Sprentall of Precitec, Inc. set the scene for a thoughtful review of the role of the laser in our everyday lives. Almost everyone on the planet has seen a laser or comes in contact with them routinely. Over the last 10 years, lasers have become so familiar that almost everyone uses an “s” rather than a “z” when spelling the word laser. Most eight-year-olds can tell you that lasers are based on light and that they’re pretty common (Cont. on pg. 6, see Lasers) As Lasers Become Mainstream, Safety Even More Important by Thomas E. Johnson, Ph.D. by Jack Dyer, Contributing Editor LIA and FMA Purchase ALAW pg. 5
Transcript
The ANSI Z136 committee met inRockville Maryland on March 16,2006. There are several members of
the Health Physics Society who are membersof this committee, and at least three are certi-fied health physicists (CHPs). A major interestof most health physicists is the issuing of newand revised laser safety standards.
Proposed Z136.1 Standard ChangesThe primary laser safety standard, Z136.1
Safe Use of Lasers, is currently in the editorialreview process. Its expected published date islate 2006. The new standard and future stan-dards should be in a new single column format
that is easier to read and an index is plannedfor all new standards as well.
There were discussions in the technical sub-committee of changes for the 1.2 to 2.6 micronwavelength MPE (maximum permissible expo-sure) limits within Z136.1. Currently, the MPElimits follow a “step function” and the revisionwould have the effect of slightly raising theexposure limits in most of this wavelengthregime. Additionally, example calculations willbe added in the future to Appendix B of thisstandard, with the goal of having an examplefor every part of the standard.
A proposal was made to completely revise
May/June 2006
LIA TODAYLIA TODAYThe Official Newsletter of the Laser Institute of America
The professional society dedicated to fostering lasers, laser applications, and laser safety worldwide.
U.S. Secretary of Comm-erce Carlos M. Gutierrezannounced in March thelaunch of a state-of-the-artcenter for collaborative nan-otechnology research atCommerce’s National Instituteof Standards and Technology(NIST). Scientists from U.S.companies, universities andgovernment will focus onovercoming major technicalobstacles to cost-effectivemanufacturing of productsmade with components thesize of atoms and molecules.
CNST also houses aNanofabrication Facility, orNanofab. This large “cleanroom” is equipped with astill-growing array of state-of-the-art tools for making, test-ing and characterizing proto-type nanoscale devices andmaterials. These instrumentswill be available to collabora-tors and to outside users.
Fiber Lasers Market to Grow
Fiber laser sales will growby over 35% per year from
InThe News...
Annual Meeting Focuses on Laser Safety Updates
(Cont. on pg.14, see In The News…)
(Cont. on pg. 8 see ANSI)
Recognizing the rapid movement ofthe laser out of previously shelteredenvironments in labs and industry,
the Laser Institute of America (LIA) encour-ages members to join or form broad regionalgroups putting membership to work to buildbetter, safer laser application communities.
Jim Naugle, LIA marketing manager,reports, “As part of LIA’s commitment to pro-mote laser applications and safety worldwide,three chapters have recently been formed –Great Lakes, Western and Northeast regions.Each chapter serves the unique needs of itsmembers.” (For more information on how tojoin and volunteer to help with LIA’s chapters,see Chapter Corner on page 13.)
Why Are We Here? Because They’re All Around Us
Opening the first formal meeting of LIA’sGreat Lakes Chapter in Plymouth Township,Michigan this April Co-chairs Mike Klos ofLaser Mechanisms and Susan Sprentall ofPrecitec, Inc. set the scene for a thoughtfulreview of the role of the laser in our everydaylives.
Almost everyone on the planet has seen alaser or comes in contact with them routinely.Over the last 10 years, lasers have become sofamiliar that almost everyone uses an “s” ratherthan a “z” when spelling the word laser. Mosteight-year-olds can tell you that lasers arebased on light and that they’re pretty common
(Cont. on pg. 6, see Lasers)
As Lasers Become Mainstream, Safety Even More Important
by Thomas E. Johnson, Ph.D.
by Jack Dyer, Contributing Editor
LIA and FMA
PurchaseALAWpg. 5
Editor-in-Chief..................Peter Baker
Managing Editor...................Kris Stell
Contributing Editor ..............Jack Dyer
Copy Editor ..................Barbara Sams
Copy Editor......................Anja Selnau
Editorial Staff
LIA TODAYLIA TODAY
May/June 2006 2
Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the professionalsociety dedicated to fostering lasers, laser applications and
laser safety worldwide. LIA is the secretariat and publisher ofthe ANSI Z136 series of laser safety standards, and is a leadingprovider of laser safety education.
LIA offers educational programs, conferences and sym-posia on the applications of lasers and electro-optics. LIA’sannual International Congress on Applications of Lasers &Electro-Optics (ICALEO®) features the world’s foremost meet-ing on laser materials processing. The biennial InternationalLaser Safety Conference (ILSC®) covers all aspects of lasersafety practice and hazard control.
If you would like more information about the LIA, call407.380.1553, 1.800.34.LASER or visit our home on the Web:www.laserinstitute.org.
LIALIA TTODAODAYYThe Official Newsletter of the Laser Institute of America
LIA TODAY is published bimonthly and strives to educateand inform laser professionals on laser safety and new trendsrelated to laser technology. LIA members receive a free sub-scription to LIA TODAY and the Journal of Laser Applications®,
in addition to discounts on all LIA products and services.The editors of LIA TODAY welcome input from their readers.
Please submit news-related releases, articles of general interest andletters to the editor. Mail us at LIA TODAY, 13501 Ingenuity Drive,Suite 128, Orlando, FL 32826, fax 407.380.5588, or send materialby e-mail to [email protected].
If you are interested in affordable advertising space in thisnewsletter or a subscription, please contact Jim Naugle at407.380.1553 or 1.800.34.LASER.
Volume 14, Number 3 May/June 2006
IN THIS ISSUE...
Features
Depar tmentsIn The News..............................1
Calendar of Events....................2
Executive Director’s Msg. ......5
ASC Z136 Update ....................8
JLA Update ..............................9
Welcome New Members ......12
Chapter Corner........................13
Members In Motion................14
LIA Announces ......................15
For a complete list of LIA corporate members, visit our corporate directory online at www.laserinstitute.org.
Adver tisersICALEO® 2006 ......................16
Kentek........................................4
Laser Focus World ................12
Lee Laser ................................15
NoIR ........................................14
Photonics Spectra ....................9
Precitec & American LaserEnterprises ..............................11
Trinity Technologies ................7
Wilson Industries ......................3
Contact LIA for information onany of the above advertisers.
President – Joseph O’Brien, Trinity Technologies, LLC
LIA & FMA Purchase ALAW ......................................5
Highlights of LIA’s 2nd PICALO ............................10
LIA TODAY
May/June 20063
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Ijust returned from beautifulMelbourne, Australia, site of PICA-LO 2006, the second successful con-
ference in the series. Afterwards I exploredthe scenic beauty of New Zealand with myson Scott, then enjoyed a few days in Sydneybefore the long flight home. If you ever getthe chance to go there, I recommend it.
Next in the series is PICALO 2008,which will be in Beijing. The event will bein April, just a few short months before the2008 Olympic Games so the city will be intip-top shape. Mark your calendars!
Back in the U.S. we are busy working onthe 25th ICALEO® to be held Oct.30-Nov. 2 inScottsdale and then ILSC® 2007, which willbe in San Francisco. We are adding two daysof very practical sessions at ILSC® to meetthe needs of laser safety officers, who repre-
sent the “end-users” for safety information.On April 27th LIA took a giant step to
meet the needs of industrial end-users when,together with the Fabricators and Manufac-turers Association (FMA), we purchased theAutomotive Laser Applications Workshop(ALAW) from founder Frank DiPietro. Thisconference will emphasize LIA’s presence asa provider of products and services to thelaser application end-user community and tothe corporations who produce the lasers andsystems that they use (see article below).
The Laser Institute of America(LIA), Orlando, Fla., and theFabricators & Manufacturers
Association, Intl. (FMA), Rockford, Ill.,have purchased the Automotive LaserApplication Workshop (ALAW) fromfounder Frank DiPietro.
The joint acquisition of ALAW repre-sents an opportunity to bring together thelaser technology and safety standardsexpertise of LIA and the metal fabricatingindustry and educational strengths ofFMA to produce an unparallel educationallaser technology conference beneficial toboth organizations’ members and readers.
“This will empower the Fabricators &Manufacturers Association to providegreater access to cutting-edge laser tech-nology to our 1,500 members and160,000 subscribers,” said FMA Presidentand CEO Gerald Shankel.
“We at the Laser Institute of Americalook forward to working with FMA tocontinue to build on the strong traditionof ALAW. This will further emphasize ourstrength and presence in the laser end-user community,” said Peter Baker, exec-utive director of LIA.
Laser industry icon Frank DiPietrowill share the 2007 conference then con-tinue to provide inspiration and leadershipfor the conference as a consultant for fivemore years.
Next year’s ALAW is scheduled to beheld in April 2007 in this year’s location ofPlymouth, Mich., event organizers said.This year’s conference included three daysof presentations by industry leaders onfiber lasers, Nd:YAG laser welding, remotebeam laser welding, combined laser cuttingand welding, and laser surface technologyin automotive applications.
About the Buyers LIA is the international society for
laser applications and safety. Its missionis to foster lasers, laser applications andlaser safety worldwide. Serving the indus-trial, medical, research and governmentcommunities, LIA offers technical infor-mation and networking opportunities tolaser users from around the globe.
The FMA provides the tools andresources fabricating and forming industrycompanies need to improve operationsthrough education and training. Its publish-
ing arm, FMA Communications, publishesfour industry trade magazines that coverlaser technology—The FABRICATOR®,The Tube & Pipe Journal®, PracticalWelding Today®, and STAMPING JOUR-NAL®. The FMA co-sponsors theFABTECH International® & AWS WeldingShow, North America's largest metal form-ing, fabricating, tube and pipe, and weldingtradeshow.
LIA and FMA Purchase ALAW
FMA’s Gerald Shankel, left, andLIA’s Peter Baker announced thepurchase of ALAW from founderFrank DiPietro, right.
and ordinary.Speaker Steve Farmer of
Eli Lilly, Indianapolis,addressed concerns about laserprocessing safety in corpora-tions and educational organi-zations. Farmer, a radiation
safety officer, reminded the40+ chapter members andguests of the constant atten-tion required to dangers fromreflections and inattention,especially to eyesight.
A Certified Laser SafetyOfficer and health physicist,Farmer recalled through casehistories the human costs ofinattention on the job or in thelaboratory. He decried the lackof a central registry of laseraccidents and incidents of allkinds. Audience members dis-cussed record-keeping loca-tions, noting they tended tolack complete details. Onereason, they said, is thatexcept for major laboratoriesand industrial complexes,records are usually kept inter-nally and/or reported confi-dentially to the OccupationalSafety and HealthAdministration (OSHA).
Mike Klos described hisexperiences in watching themovement of lasers from thefactory and research lab. Hedid his first experiment with alaser over 27 years ago. Sincethen, he says, “I have seen
lasers grow from what wascalled ‘a tool without an appli-cation’ to being a necessity inmuch of our daily lives.
“To this day I still getexcited when I see a beam oflight cut through a sheet of
steel. Istillmarvelat theability tocreateand con-trol alaserpulsewithin afewfem-tosec-onds.I’ve been
known to get emotional whenfinding out about a new laserprocedure that might save achild’s life or improve thehuman condition.
“I eagerly await break-throughs in all areas of thelaser world. Like you,lasers are a big part ofmy life. We are all heretonight because we are inone of the most technol-ogy driven industries inhistory,” Farmer said.
Even if we are in theforefront of innovation,he says, we must con-stantly strive to advanceour knowledge. One wayis to meet and shareinformation with otherswho have the same pas-sion for lasers and whatthey can do. That’s alsowhy we’re here as aregional chapter.
Role of American National Standardsfor Laser Safety
LIA training taughtKlos to be alert to ANSIZ136.1 requirements for
a Class 4 laser while the beamcut the steel. He knows towear proper eyewear, beaware of the high-voltagepower supply and laser-gener-ated airborne contaminants. Sowhat does he need to watchout for when he goes home orto the local grocery?
Lasers are classifiedaccording to their degree ofhazard from Class 1 to Class 4– the most hazardous – asKlos would find on the job.Dangers of a Class 1, 2, or 3alaser are much less significantthan those of a Class 3b or 4laser. Even for these low-power class lasers, however,direct exposure of the eye tothe output beam can be dan-gerous. (Non-beam hazardsare addressed in depth inSection 7, ANSI Z136.1 avail-able through LIA’s website,www.laserinstitute.org.)
Curiosity and lack ofknowledge, for example, canlead to increased risks of mis-use of Class 2 and Class 3a
lasers. Specific examples arethe misuse of laser pointers andhand-held barcode scanners.
Today’s laser pointer is nolonger a toy or a curiosity thathigh school boys use to startlecheerleaders or opposing teamplayers. And who hasn’t seena movie’s sniper searching forhis victim with an infraredscope? The eye’s blink reflex(0.25 seconds) is usuallyenough to protect the eye fromdamage due to visible lasers.
Unfortunately, there arereports of imported laserpointers bypassing FDArequirements, these are signifi-cantly more dangerous andcontain a green beam ratherthan a red one. These mostlyChinese imports do not con-tain an FDA warning label.Before buying a pointer, oneshould check to see that itcontains an FDA warning.(Another standard, Z136.6,addresses Safe Use of LasersOutdoors, including airbornehazards.)
LIA TODAY
May/June 2006 6
Lasers , cont. from pg. 1
Attendees at the first meeting of the GreatLakes Chapter included speakers SteveFarner and Mike Klos on left.
LIA/OSHA Alliance
LIA just recently announced such an opportunity to share infor-mation and technology through an alliance with Washington D.C.-based Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Thealliance focuses on providing access to training resources to helpprotect worker safety and health particularly by reducing and pre-venting exposure to laser beam and non-beam hazards in industrialand medical workplaces.
The alliance calls for OSHA and LIA to work together to devel-op training and education programs for OSHA staff and employersand employees that use lasers in the workplace. In addition, LIAwill provide laser-related training courses and focus on sharinginformation on the bioeffects that lasers have on the eyes and skin,laser control measures and laser safety program administration.
LIA is keeping the charge to focus the excitement of laser tech-nology – safely – as it moves from the workshop and research labo-ratory into less secure environments. Lasers are truly all around us!
LIA TODAY
May/June 20067
LIA TODAY
May/June 2006 8
ANSI , cont. from pg. 1
and simplify the Z136.1 stan-dard, and move all the “spe-cialty” information into threenew standards. The three newstandards would be Safe Useof Lasers in the ManufacturingEnvironment, Safe Use ofLasers in Research,Development and Testing, andlastly, Safe Use of Lasers inEntertainment, Displays andExhibitions (for indoor useapplications, may be harmo-nized with IEC 60825 part 3).
These changes wouldrequire making alterations to allthe standards. There was greatdiscussion on this issue, espe-cially the implementation of it.Most agreed that simplifyingZ136.1 is a good idea in princi-pal. If you are interested in par-ticipating in this process, pleasecontact the ANSI committeethrough the Z136.org website.
Proposed Z136.2 & .3 Changes
Z136.2 will undergo a title
change with its next publica-tion, hopefully in early 2007.The new title is tentativelygiven as “Safe Use of OpticalTelecommunications SystemsUsing Laser Diodes and LEDSources.” One of the key goalsof the revised standard is toincorporate fiber optics andfree space communicationdevices. Another goal is toharmonize it with IEC 60825part 2, but with additionalguidance. Wavelengthsbetween 0.6 microns and 1mm are addressed in this stan-dard, and it references bothZ136.1 and Z136.6.
The Safe Use of Lasers inHealth Care Facilities,Z136.3-2005, has just beenissued. The committee is nowexploring harmonizing withIEC standards, but no firmdecision has been made yet.Growing use of lasers in vet-erinary medicine prompteddiscussion as to how andwhere to include those require-
ments in the standards.
Proposed Z136.4 & .5 Changes
Recommended Practice forLaser Safety Measurements forHazard Evaluation, Z136.4-2005, is an excellent documentthat does a great job describ-ing how to perform almost allaspects of laser safety. Thisdocument describes someways to comply with the stan-dards and how to per-form many tasks associ-ated with the standards.It is essential to anyonewho is setting up a lasersafety program. Thecommittee is workingon improvements andincorporating theZ136.1 revisions intothe next version. Thereare numerous examples,and more will be addedin the next revision dueout sometime in thenext four years.
The Safe Use of Lasers inEducational Institutions,Z136.5, is undergoing changesto comply with Z136.1. It cov-ers kindergarten to colleges, andfuture revisions will includemore recommendations anddigital photos of setups. Thereare no major revisions planned,only improvements. SinceZ136.5 depends on Z136.1, it isexpected to be published in2007 or early 2008.
ASC Z136 Chair Ron Petersen, left, pre-sents appreciation plaque to outgoingASC Z136 Vice Chair Jerry Dennis.
ASC Z136 Update
Many thanks to Jerry Dennis and the FDA Center for Devices andRadiological Health (CDRH) for hosting the annual meeting of
ASC Z136 (March 16, 2006). This well-attended meeting, 31 members and11 observers, included updated summaries from each subcommittee chair, anoverview of the upcoming International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC®),and a review of functionality of Z136.org. The highlight of the meeting wasa presentation by Dr. David Sliney proposing new vertical standards in man-ufacturing, R&D, and entertainment.
Committee Chair Ron Petersen was reappointed for a fifth term. SheldonZimmerman was appointed to serve as committee vice chair, and RobertThomas was appointed by the secretariat to serve as committee secretary.Appreciation plaques were awarded to outgoing Vice Chair Jerry Dennis andSecretary Sheldon Zimmerman.
We would like to welcome new members Ben Edwards (DukeUniversity), Penelope Galoff (USACHPPM), Tom Lieb (L*A*IInternational) and Larry McLouth (Lawrence Berkeley National Lab) toASC Z136.
If you are interested in participating on ASC Z136 or any of its subcom-mittees, please contact Barbara Sams at the LIA, 407-380-1553 [email protected] for more information.
Peter Baker, right, presents apprecia-tion plaque to outgoing ASC Z136Secretary Sheldon Zimmerman.
Robert Thomas is the incoming ASC Z136secretary and Z136.org webmaster.
Future Revisions & Standards
Many revisions areincorporated into the justreleased Safe Use of LasersOutdoors, Z136.6-2005standard. The appendix onIEC harmonization hasbeen incorporated into thestandard. In the future, ref-erences to free space opti-cal communications will bedeleted, as Z136.2 willsoon cover this area.Updated forms, aircraftdetection systems and ter-minology have been addedto the standard. Revisionsfor the 2010 edition willpossibly have a sectiondescribing major changes,and may have a philosophychange. Instead of usingMPE as a limit, they areconsidering using photopicresponse as a limit.
A vote was held on the
Eyewear and ProtectiveBarriers, Z136.7 draft stan-dard in 2005, and it wassent to the editorial reviewboard in December of2005. It may be publishedas soon as late 2006, imme-diately following theZ136.1 publication. This isan all-new standard.
Laser safety standardsare, by necessity, rapidlychanging. Advances in lasertechnology and biologicaleffects research impact thisfield on an almost dailybasis. ANSI standards are,by design, revised atapproximately five-yearintervals.
If you have not updatedyour laser safety informa-tion over the past 10 years,you may find the Z136series almost unrecogniz-able now. The changingscope of the standards and
issuing of new standardsover the past 10 years hassignificantly expanded thesafety information avail-able for laser safety profes-sionals.
If you are currentlyworking with lasers, ormay in the future, I wouldstrongly recommend thatyou obtain the latest stan-dards that apply to yourfacility and considerbecoming a Certified LaserSafety Officer (CLSO).
Dr. Thomas E. Johnsonof Colorado State Univer-sity is the Health PhysicsSociety representative tothe ANSI Z136 committee.This article has beenreprinted with permissionfrom the author as pub-lished in the May 2006issue of Health PhysicsNews.
LIA TODAY
May/June 20069
Journal of Laser Applications®
UpdateThe Journal of Laser Applica-
tions® offers the latest refereedpapers by leading researchers in thelaser community. The May 2006issue includes papers from materialsprocessing. Look for the online ver-sion at www.laserinstitute.org/publi-cations/jla/. To view the journalonline, please make sure your mem-bership is current.
The JLA® is published four timesa year by the Laser Institute ofAmerica in February, May, Augustand November. It is sent to all LIAmembers as a member benefit. Fornonmembers of LIA, call theAmerican Institute of Physics at1.800.344.6902 for subscriptioninformation.
Sign up at http://scitation.aip.org/jla/alert.jsp to receive your JLAtable of content e-mail alerts.
LIA TODAY
May/June 2006 10
LIA’s second PICA-LO (PacificInternational
Conference on Applications ofLasers and Optics) was heldApr. 3-5, 2006 in Melbourne,Australia, the same location asthe first conference. Similar to
the first PICALO, theresponse from the delegatesand vendors was very positiveand the conference wasdeclared another success. Toquote Mo Naeem from GSIGroup, “PICALO is like a bigfamily but without the fights.”
PICALO proved an excel-lent source of information andnetworking opportunities. TheConference General ChairMilan Brandt of the IndustrialResearch Institute Swinburne(IRIS), Swinburne Universityof Technology, Melbourne,Australia attracted many inter-national, regional and localresearchers, industry users andsuppliers to present, hear and
share the latest developmentsin macro- and micro-machin-ing with lasers in the Pacificregion.
Andree Haermeyer, Victor-ian Minister for Manufacturingand Export and Minister forFinancial Services, opened theconference. Mr. Haermeyercongratulated Peter Baker andLIA and IRIS for organizingthe event.
“With optical technologiesemerging as one of the keymanufacturing technologies ofthe 21st century this confer-ence is a significant event thatwill help to further enhanceour vitally important localmanufacturing industry, partic-ularly in the advanced sectorsthat Victoria is focusing on,such as aerospace, defense,automotive, and laser micro-machining,” he said.
Well-RoundedConference
The conference was athree-day event covering allaspects of laser technologyand application. It attractedsome 100 technical papers anddelegates from 14 countriesincluding UK, Germany,China, Japan, Korea,Singapore, Taiwan, Sweden,Pakistan, USA and Australia.In addition, two workshopswere presented by BillLawson on commercializationof R&D and Larry Green onlaser beam profile measure-
ment. In his wel-
comingremarksBrandt said,“The secondPICALObuilds on thesuccess of thefirst in pro-
viding a regional forum forresearchers in the area ofmacro- and micro-processingwith lasers to present theirideas and discuss theirresults.”
He wished Beijing, thehost of PICALO 2008, welland encouraged them to con-tinue with the technical con-tent, atmosphere and style setat the first two conferences.
Plenary Speakers The conference opened
with an excellent review byReinhart Poprawe fromFraunhofer ILT, Aachen on thedevelopments and milestonesin the growth of solid-statelasers. He derived a laserroadmap that couples the spe-cific properties of severallasers with the correspondingapplication parameters, mater-ial properties, product groupsand markets. He concludedthat the industry faces anintense trend for diversifica-tion of lasers and that theremay be dominant large mar-kets and niches but there willnot be a “best” laser or laserconcept in the general sense.He was followed by EckhardBeyer of Fraunhofer IWS,Dresden who gave an excel-lent presentation on highpower fiber lasers and theirapplication. Fiber lasers are
now the hot topic and their usefor both macro and microapplications in the world willonly expand in the future.
Rapid prototyping andmanufacture are now a part ofthe manufacturing chain andany developments in this areacan have a significant impacton a company’s costs and prof-itability. Laser additive manu-facturing or direct metal depo-sition is an enabling technolo-gy with potential for fabrica-tion and repair of three-dimen-sional components directlyfrom CAD. Jim Sears of
Highlights From LIA’s 2nd PICALO
Special thanks to the conference sponsors:
• Victorian Government, Dept. of Innovation,Industry & Regional Development
• Victorian Centre for Materials Manufacturing• Raymax Applications• Laserline GmbH• Optec
Conference Chair MilanBrandt.
Several attendees stayed to enjoy the post confer-ence tour which included a stop at a local winery.
Eckhard Beyer gave apresentation on highpower fiber lasers andtheir application.
Additive ManufacturingLaboratory, South DakotaSchool of Mines andTechnology presented recentdevelopments in this technolo-gy. He discussed applicationsthat cover six orders of magni-tude from microns to meters.
He was followed byAndreas Ostendorf from LZHwith a talk on lithography bymaskless laser direct writing.Ostendorf discussed some ofthe drawbacks of conventionallithography and presentedadvantages in using directlaser writing of resists andlaser photopolymerisation forsmall batches. The final pre-sentation was by James Choonfrom the Centre forMicrophotonics, SwinburneUniversity of Technology,Australia, with a talk on laserinduced shape change onmetallic nanoparticles and itsimpact on optical data storage.
.Conference Proceedings
A key issue addressed bythe chair was the quality andusefulness of the papers.
Similar to the last PICALO, apro-forma circulated to theauthors that assisted them inthe preparation of theirpapers. A peer review of allthe papers by a technicalpanel ensured that the qualityand the content of the paperswere high. The conferenceproceedings, containing allsubmitted papers includingthe plenary session, are avail-able on a CD and can beordered online atwww.laserinstitute.org.
LIA looks forward tobringing you the next PICA-LO conference in 2008 inBeijing, China.
Thanks To AllLIA would like to thank
Conference General ChairMilan Brandt of the IndustrialResearch Institute Swinburne,Swinburne University ofTechnology, Melbourne,Australia, and the programcommittees and sessionchairs who made the secondPICALO another great suc-cess.
LIA TODAY
May/June 200611
Integrating laser systems is easywhen the left hand knows what
the right hand is doing.
• Laser cutting and welding tools• Interactive process control
and process monitoring• Inspection tools• Control circuits• Beam delivery• Cladding• Seam tracking
Precitec Inc. and American Laser Enterprises have combined more than 30 years of technological experience to bring you the best OEM components and systems for industrial laser applications.
The second officialmeeting of the NortheastRegional Chapter of LIAwas held in Nashua, NH onMar. 15, 2006. This meetingfeatured a plant tour ofPhotoMachining, Inc. inPelham, NH and then a din-ner and invited talk at theNashua Sheraton. In addi-tion to visitors from everyNew England state, atten-dees arrived from NewYork, Minnesota,Pennsylvania, New Jerseyand Maryland!
Approximately 60 peo-ple attended the plant tour,which featured five stations.Three stations were moder-ated by PhotoMachiningpersonnel and includeddemonstrations of lasermaterials processing usingexcimer and CO2 at 355nm
lasers. The other two sta-tions were moderated byoutside vendors, one dis-cussing laser safety by folksfrom Trinity Technologies,and one discussing motioncontrol by people fromAerotech.
After the plant tour,everyone drove to the nextvenue for a social hour anddinner. A total of almost 80people were in attendanceincluding several LIA fel-lows, officers, board mem-bers and past presidents.
The invited speaker wasDr. Paul Jacobs, vice presi-dent of R&D at Laser Farein Rhode Island. His talk onlaser trepanning of smallholes presented work fund-ed by the SBIR programand their Phase I and IIfindings together with dis-cussions of future work. Dr.Jacobs’ talk gave greatinsight into how to find thecorrect parameters for laserdrilling materials in a fast,
cost-effective and extremelyreproducible manner. Oneof the key points was thatyou don’t always need a‘bigger hammer’, but fre-quently by using bettermachining techniques youcan achieve much betterresults with a given laser.After considerable work,some blind alleys, a fewinsights, and considerablehelp from sub-contractors,standard deviations in holeentrance and exit diametersunder two micrometerswere achieved; a level ofprecision and repeatabilitynever previously achievedat Laser Fare.
The Northeast Chaptermeetings continue to be ahuge success and a greatvenue for people to interact.The next meeting is beingorganized by Dr. Bo Gu ofGSI Group and will be heldin mid-June. Details will beannounced closer to thevenue date.
LIA TODAY
May/June 200613
Chapter Corner
Great Lakes Chapter
by Jack Dyer, ContributingEditor
The first formal meeting ofthe Great Lakes Chapter washosted by TRUMPF, Inc. LaserTechnology Center on Apr. 11,2006 in Plymouth Township,Mich. In addressing concernsabout laser processing safety incorporations and educationalorganizations, Steve Farmer ofEli Lilly, Indianapolis, remind-ed the 40+ chapter membersand guests of the constantattention required to dangersfrom reflections and inatten-
tion, especially to eyesight.While illustrating actual casehistories from universityrecords, he decried the lack of acentral registry of laser acci-dents. Audience members dis-cussed record-keeping loca-tions, noting they tended tolack complete details.
The next meeting of theGreat Lakes Chapter will beheld July 12 at FraunhoferInstitute in Plymouth, Mich.The Great Lakes Chapterincludes the states of Michigan,Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and theprovince of Ontario, Canada.
Western Chapter
The formation of an LIAWestern Chapter is under-way with the first meetingscheduled for Wednesday,May 31, 2006 at theDecathlon Club in Sunny-vale, Calif. A social hourwill take place starting at5:30 p.m. followed by anLIA presentation and thenfeatured speaker HeinrichEndert of Spectra Physicswill give a talk on emergingapplications of lasers in thesemiconductor industry. Thevote whether to establish theWestern Chapter will be held
at the end of the eveningThe LIA encourages all
LIA members in the support-ing area to join the chapter.Members are needed to helpplan and conduct the meet-ings and professional pro-grams. If you would like tovolunteer, e-mail [email protected]. You mustbe an LIA member in orderto join the Western Chapter.For membership informa-tion, please e-mail [email protected] orjoin online at www.laserin-stitute.org/membership
LIA encourages all LIA members in the supporting areas of these chapters to join the chapter and support its efforts to promote the laserindustry on a regional level. For more information on LIA’s chapters or to volunteer to help, visit www.laesrinstitute.org.
Photomachining’s ApplicationsScientist Dr. Oleg Derkachdemonstrated a laser at 355nmprocessing with galvos.
Photomachining’s Job ShopManager Gabor Kardos demon-strated PCB drilling using aCO2-TEA laser in Class 10,000cleanroom.
LIA TODAY
May/June 2006 14
Laser Champion Award On March 30, the TRUMPF Laser
Technology Center recognized FrankDiPietro with a Laser Champion Award forhis lifetime achievements in advancing theuse of laser technology in industrial manu-facturing. For more than 45 years DiPietrowas actively involved in automated sys-tems, tooling, robotics, and laser systemsfor the General Motors Corporation’s auto-motive operations. In 1992, he founded theAutomotive Laser Application Workshop(ALAW) with the support of the Universityof Michigan. ALAW is now in its 14th con-secutive year, and DiPietro continues as itsconsultant. TRUMPF hosted the awardpresentation during an open house onMarch 30 in conjunction with ALAW.
Expanded Online OfferingMelles Griot, Carlsbad, Calif., has
announced that the complete line of lasersfound in Catalog X is now available forpurchase at www.mellesgriot.com. Thebuy-online site includes helium neon, air-
cooled ion, and DPSS lasers, as well assemiconductor diode laser assemblies, dri-vers, controllers, and mounts. Anadvanced search function quickly locatesspecific lasers by wavelength (or color),output power, and type. Additionally, itscomplete line of opto-mechanical hard-ware and positioners is also now availablefor purchase online, which includes morethan 850 individual items.
Coherent Opens in KoreaCoherent Inc., Santa Clara, Calif.,
announced in April that it has established adirect operation in Seoul, Korea. CoherentKorea will offer dedicated support and cus-tomer-focused services to Korean cus-tomers in this rapidly growing laser market.
Wooyang Trading Company, which hasserved as Coherent’s distributor in Korea,will continue to be responsible for sales touniversities and research institutions.However, Coherent Korea now will pro-vide industrial sales and all service toCoherent’s customers.
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$140 million in 2005 to $680 million in2010 in an industrial laser market thatwill grow just 9% per year to $2.8 bil-lion over the same period. This is theconclusions of a new report fromStrategies Unlimited (SU), the optoelec-tronics market research firm, reportedthe Apr. 19 issue of Optics.org.
Fiber lasers are not competing inapplications that employ diode lasers,such as thermal printing. The fiber laseris primarily a substitute for the diode-pumped solid-state laser, but in time itis expected to make further in-roads inother sectors. These will include appli-cations from a few Watts to much high-er powers such as the 36kW (fiber)laser, says the report.
The promising outlook is temperedby several looming uncertainties, how-ever. Improvements in the price and per-formance of direct diode systems couldhelp suppliers of those systems capturemarket share from fiber lasers, althoughin some cases the laser suppliers may bethe same. The Fiber Laser MarketReview and Forecast 2006 is availablefrom SU at www.strategies-u.com.
In The News, cont. from pg. 1
LIA TODAY
May/June 200615
Online Laser Safety Training for Physicians
Any physician using a laser in a med-ical or surgical environment should takeadvantage of LIA’s Laser Safety Trainingfor Physicians Online Course. This courseis designed to give physicians using lasersin a surgical environment the basics oflaser safety. It covers why a laser can bedangerous, laser regulations and safetystandards, basic laser terminology, nominalhazard zone and laser treatment controlledareas, patient safety and laser eyewear, andwhy you should have your laser servicedand who should do it.
All course materials are electronic anddownloadable once the course is pur-chased. A username and password willremain in effect for three days. Access tothe course is unlimited during that timeperiod. The three days start once you firstlog in. A complete set of color course notesin portable document format (pdf) as wellas sample documentation forms includinglaser log, standard operating procedures,safety audit, and policies and skills isincluded. This course can be taken fromeither a PC or MAC. Cost for LIA mem-bers is $99 or $149 for nonmembers. Visitwww.laserinstitute.org to register.
New Laser Safety Book LIA is pleased to now offer Laser Safety
Management, a book that provides practicaltools for successfully implementing a lasersafety program in any environment. Thebook, written by Ken Barat of the LawrenceLivermore National Laboratory inCalifornia, defines the three elements oflaser safety: users, the laser safety officer,and incidental personnel. It covers the typesof laser injuries, standard operating proce-dures to ensure safety, tips and tools toavoid pitfalls, training, control measures,and personal protection equipment.
Laser Safety Management includessample forms and checklists for a programmanagement system and considers acci-dents from occurrence through investiga-tion. It also contains a 16-page color insertwith 30 illustrations, a chapter on lasersafety calculations, a list of Web resources,and covers U.S. and European regulations
and standards. Filled with common sensesolutions for laser safety issues, the bookmakes setting up a safety program practi-cally painless.
Cost is $120 for LIA members and$140 for nonmembers. To order visit thebookstore at www.laserinstitute.org.
Industrial Laser Safety CourseLasers are used in a wide variety of
industrial manufacturing operations. Lasercutting, drilling, welding, and heat-treatingof metals and other materials present bothlaser beam hazards and non-beam hazardsin materials processing. The one-dayIndustrial Laser Safety course from LIAwill address these issues in detail and pre-sent methods of how to minimize thesehazards. This course will also identifynational regulations and standardsdesigned to address the issue of laser safe-ty. This course meets all training require-ments outlined by ANSI, OSHA, andACGIH and will be held on June 8, 2006in Plymouth, Mich. and is being hosted byTrumpf, Inc. Course fees are $199 for LIAmembers and $249 for nonmembers.
Mark Your Calendars The 25th International Congress on
Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics(ICALEO® 2006) will be held Oct. 30-Nov. 2, 2006 in Scottsdale, Ariz. ICALEOwill include the Laser MaterialsProcessing Conference, the LaserMicroprocessing Conference, a PosterPresentation Gallery and the LaserSolutions Short Courses. Highlighted ses-sions including fiber laser processing,laser processing of biological material,laser processing in the aviation, defense,and space industry, lasers in material pro-cessing diagnostics and in nano-technolo-gy, and the Laser Business DevelopmentSession. Don’t miss the President’sReception to be held at Taliesin West,Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home, studioand architectural laboratory in the foothillsof the McDowell Mountains. Sponsorshipand vendor opportunities are still avail-able. For more information, visit www.ica-leo.org or contact Beth Cohen [email protected].
LIA Announces
LIA TODAY
May/June 2006 16
LIA TODAY NewsletterLaser Institute of America13501 Ingenuity Drive, Suite 128Orlando, FL 32826
Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage
PAID Orlando, FLPermit #2342
Laser Materials Processing Conference - Sponsored by LASAG Industrial-Lasers Conference Chair: Paul Hilton, The Welding Institute, Cambridge, UK
Laser Microprocessing Conference - Sponsored by Coherent, Inc. Conference Chair: Yongfeng Lu, Univ. of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
Highlighted Conference Topics include• Fiber Laser Processing• Laser Processing of Biological Material• Laser Processing in the Aviation, Defense, & Space Industry• Lasers in Materials Processing Diagnostics• Lasers in Nanotechnology• Laser Business Development Session -
Learn how to start a laser company, job shop initiatives, marketing, and much more!• Lasers in a Green Economy• Nanomachining • Glass Micromachining
Go to www.icaleo.org to download the Advance Program and to register today!
The International Congress on Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics (ICALEO®) has a 24-year history as the conference where researchers and end-users meetto review the state-of-the-art in laser materials processing and predict where the future will lead. From its inception, ICALEO® has been devoted to the field oflaser materials processing and is viewed as the premier source of technical information in the field. ICALEO® has been referred to as “the best kept secret of thelaser materials processing world!” Join LIA for four days of learning, networking and connecting with the industry’s best and brightest!
Laser Industry Tabletop Exhibit & ReceptionTuesday, October 31Space still available - call for details! 407.380.1553
