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THE PUBLICATION FOR INTEGRATORS
LASER AND USERS OF LASER SYSTEMS
SYSTEMS
EUROPE
ISSUE 49 WINTER 2020
INSIDE
Electronics
Ultrafast
lasers
Additive
manufacturing
Driving
production
Laser trends
in automotive
manufacturing
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LASER Systems
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SYSTEMS
EUROPE Matthew
Dale,
editor
News 4 Analysis: Machine learning 22
Laser systems market could decline to $16bn in additive manufacturing
l Researchers develop 10.4kW average power Brett Diehl puts neural networks to work in
ultrafast laser l Additive firms launch printers identifying voids in additive manufacturing
This year has seen many conferences
with 10+ lasers l Sheet metal fabricator triples
turnover during lockdown l Oil waste increases
Analysis: Energy efficiency 24 and events switch to an online format
hardness of 3D printed aluminium
in laser processing in the wake of the pandemic, with many
Nicholas Goffin investigates where energy organisers looking to continue this trend
Feature: Electronics 8 savings can be made in laser processing moving into 2021.
Keely Portway discovers how lasers are being On page 28 Dave MacLellan shares
used to advance Moore’s law, and how this
Analysis: Additive manufacturing 26
how he intends to keep the networking
technology could become more accessible to Chao Wei and Lin Li discuss how different
opportunities of AILU’s ILAS conference
SMEs material properties could be integrated into
alive next year, despite the event being
single parts using additive manufacturing
Feature: Safety 12 held remotely. Meanwhile, on page 31,
Lasermet’s David Lawton opens Matthew
AILU News 28 the LIA recaps its first digital ICALEO
Dale’s eyes on modern challenges in laser Dave MacLellan on the transformation of ILAS conference, which was originally due to
safety into a digital conference be held in Chicago in October. To give
you a taste of the event – which can still
Interview: Automotive 16 Products 29
be viewed on-demand – the articles
LSE speaks with Martin Kuhnhen about the The latest equipment for industrial laser
on machine learning in AM (page 22),
usage of laser technology on automotive processing
and processing efficiency (page 24)
production lines LIA News 31 have both been prepared by ICALEO
Analysis: Ultrafast lasers 18 Jana Langhans of LIA recaps this year’s speakers.
Stefan Janssen discusses the scanner-based ICALEO conference, which was held online for Many of you may have heard of the
laser processing technique developed within the first time in October new A14 chip featured in Apple’s latest
the Carbolase project iPhone, which boasts 5nm transistors
Suppliers’ directory 34
fabricated by ASML’s 180-tonne EUV
Analysis: Marking 20 Find the suppliers you need
lithography machine. On page 8, Keely
Simone Mazzucato discusses how lasers can Portway learns how affordable chip
be used to create hidden microfeatures in manufacturing tech is being developed
materials for anti-counterfeit purposes by Fraunhofer ILT, for SMEs who don’t
have $120m lying around to buy the
latest system.
On pages 12 and 16 you can sit in
on two very interesting conversations I
had with experts on the topics of laser
safety and automotive manufacturing,
Supported by the LIA while on pages 18 and 20 you can read
about some of the latest ways in which
ultrafast lasers are being put to work in
manufacturing.
We wish all our readers a safe and
Editorial and administrative team Subscriptions: Free registrations available to qualifying individuals. Subscriptions
joyful end to the year and look forward
Managing editor: Greg Blackman £120 per year for four issues to readers outside registration requirements.
Enquiries to Europa Science, 4 Signet Court, Cambridge CB5 8LA, UK.
to seeing many of you either digitally or
greg.blackman@europascience.com Tel: +44 (0)1223 221042
Editor: Matthew Dale
Tel: +44 (0)1223 221030. Fax: +44 (0)1223 213385.
©2019 Europa Science Ltd.
in person in 2021!
matthew.dale@europascience.com Tel: +44 (0)1223 221047 While every care has been taken in the compilation of this magazine, errors or
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WWW.LASERSYSTEMSEUROPE.COM | @LASERSYSTEMSMAG WINTER 2020 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE 3
NEWS
LASERS
IN ACTION
Laser systems market faces
expected 10% decline to $16bn
Sittipong Phokawattana/Shutterstock.com
The global market for laser For Europe, North America
systems for materials and Japan, Optech Consulting
processing is expected to fall expects that sales will be
to $16bn in 2020, according to markedly down in 2020.
market research firm Optech
Consulting. Microelectronics segment
This corresponds to a 10 expected to grow
per cent drop compared to the The market for laser systems
$17.9bn the firm reported for for microelectronics
the year before. processing – for manufacturing
The company also expects semiconductors, flat panel
a decrease of around 10 per displays, printed circuit boards
cent in the global market for and solar cells – had just started
industrial laser sources, with to recover from the downturn
market volume expected to be in 2019. This recovery was not
close to $4bn for 2020. halted by the pandemic, and
‘The expected decrease deterioration in major end demand for laser systems in the
for 2020 appears moderate, “For Europe, North industries, trade conflicts, segment is expected to grow in
given the grim macroeconomic America and and the partial shift of foreign 2020. But other segments in the
environment that developed manufacturing investments to industrial laser systems market
Japan, sales will be
under the impact of Covid-19,’ neighbouring countries. are expected to decrease.
Optech Consulting said in its
markedly down” However, 2020 quarterly Overall, growth rates
report. ‘The decrease also sales of the major local laser for single segments of the
appears moderate when and system manufacturers industrial laser market will
compared to the massive of major industrial laser and have recovered in quarters two encompass double-digit
decrease of global sales of the system suppliers, such as and three from low first quarter losses for lasers for standard
machine tool industry this year.’ IPG Photonics, Coherent and levels, laying the ground for full- systems, to positive growth
The demand of industrial Han’s Laser. They showed a year figures which will exceed rates for several segments of
lasers and laser systems strong growth in 2017 followed those of 2019. microelectronics processing.
follows the investment cycles by a decrease in the second
of end industries, such as half of 2018. This downturn
the 3C industry (computers, was triggered by deteriorated
communications and consumer economic expectations
electronics), the mobile for major end industries, in
electronic devices industry, the particular the automotive and
automotive industry, as well as consumer electronics sectors.
a broad range of end industries With regards to China and its
for major applications such as effect on the market, while the
cutting and marking. country had lead growth rates
At the start of 2020, the for several years, it decreased in
industrial laser and systems 2019 due to the wide adoption
market was in a continued of laser processes over a short
downturn trend that began in time in the years prior.
mid-2018. This was reflected This decrease also came
in the quarterly sales figures with the above mentioned
4 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE WINTER 2020 @LASERSYSTEMSMAG | WWW.LASERSYSTEMSEUROPE.COM
NEWS
IN BRIEF
Start-up sheet metal fabricator
triples turnover during lockdown The international sheet metal
working technology exhibition
EuroBlech has been postponed
once more, until 25 to 28 October
2022. The decision was taken in
Business Live
A start-up sheet metal fabricator in
Staffordshire, UK, has tripled its turnover light of the ongoing pandemic.
and doubled its workforce since March. ASML, a dutch manufacturer
Roo Engineering, which was started in of chip-making equipment, has
April 2019 by husband and wife James and completed its acquisition of
Abbi Rigby, has grown from an initial three Berliner Glas Group, including all
employees to a workforce of 27, and now subsidiaries.
operates across two sites.
Blue diode laser manufacturer
The firm specialises in metalwork and
Nuburu has appointed a new CEO,
offers everything from design, finishing Dr Guy Gilliland and a new CFO,
and assembly, to supply and installation. Its Chris Baldwin, . The firm also
customers come from a variety of industries recently raised $20m in
all over the UK. Series B funding.
The majority of the firm’s growth has
occurred since the start of lockdown in the Laser manufacturer Luxinar has
established a sales and service
UK, when it secured a £1m contract for the office in Shelby Township,
manufacture of thousands of hand sanitiser Michigan, for its North American
dispensers. Roo Engineering was founded by and Mexican customers.
So far this year the business has invested Abbi and James Rigby in April 2019
more than £500,000 in a new 6kW BySmart The sales revenue of laser
Fiber 3015 laser from Bystronic, as well four new positions in the next couple of manufacturer Trumpf fell 8 per
cent from €3.8bn to €3.5bn in
as LED lighting that will help to reduce the months.’
the fiscal year 2019/20 ending
company’s annual CO2 emissions by 15.45 Having been in engineering for more than 30 June. The firm also recently
and 3.1 tonnes respectively. 15 years, James saw the opportunity to set opened a €6m smart factory at
James, the managing director, told up his own business with Abbi using the its headquarters in Ditzingen,
Business Live: ‘Our new laser has given us contacts he had built up. ‘A lot of our growth Germany.
new capabilities, which will hopefully help us has been organic,’ he said. ‘It’s only recently
to win more work, and ideally, more locally- SPI Lasers has taken on the name
that we’ve started to really push things
of its parent company. It now
based contracts. from a marketing perspective. Our plan is to operates as Trumpf Laser UK.
‘It will also mean we can create three or continue to expand.’
Oil waste used to increase hardness of 3D printed aluminium by 50%
NUST MISIS
Researchers have used carbon high porosity of the material, additives developed by the
nanofibres derived from oil caused, among other reasons, research team includes
waste to increase the hardness by the qualities of the original methods of chemical
of 3D printed aluminium aluminium powder. deposition, ultrasonic
products by 50 per cent. To ensure a uniform and treatment, and IR heat
The developed nanocarbon dense microstructure of printed treatment.
additive, obtained from the products, the researchers The used carbon nanofibres
products of processing proposed adding carbon must be a by-product of
associated petroleum gas, nanofibres to the aluminium associated petroleum gas
could be used to improve the powder. The use of this processing. During its catalytic
quality of 3D printed aerospace modifying additive makes decomposition, carbon
composites when added to it possible to ensure a low accumulates as nanofibres
aluminium powder. porosity of the material, and an on dispersed metal particles
The presence of even the increase in its hardness by 1.5 professor Alexander Gromov, of the catalyst. Usually, at
slightest defects in printed times. head of the laboratory where present, associated gases are
structures is critical to the ‘Carbon nanofibres have the work took place. ‘Thanks simply burned in the fields,
safety of the technology being high thermal conductivity, to this, the microstructure of which harms the environment.
created. According to the which helps to minimise the material can be almost Therefore, the application of the
researchers, from The National temperature gradients between completely eliminated from new method also has a serious
University of Science and printed layers during product inhomogeneities.’ environmental significance.
Technology in Moscow, the synthesis, at the stage of The technology for the The work was described in
main risk of such defects is the selective laser melting,’ said synthesis of nanocarbon Composites Communications.
WWW.LASERSYSTEMSEUROPE.COM | @LASERSYSTEMSMAG WINTER 2020 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE 5
NEWS
Researchers exceed
10kW average power
with ultrafast fibre laser
Additive firms target serial production
Researchers have developed
with metal 3D printers wielding 10+ lasers
an ultrafast fibre laser with an
average power more than ten
SLM Solutions
times that of current high-power Two additive manufacturing firms have
lasers. The technology could unveiled metal 3D printers wielding at
have applications in industrial- least 10 1kW lasers, intended for serial
scale materials processing. production.
The laser, reported in Optics SLM Solutions has commercially
Letters, offers 10.4kW average
released the NXG XII 600, equipped with
power without degradation
of the beam quality. This is 12 1kW lasers, while Additive Industries
particularly impressive as has announced its development of the
high-power ultrafast lasers can MetalFAB-600, expected in late 2021, which
generate waste heat exceeding will operate with 10 1kW lasers.
1kW average power, which has
been known to degrade the beam
The NXG XII 600 automated features, including an automatic
quality. To circumvent this, the
researchers created the laser The 12 lasers of SLM Solutions’ machine will build cylinder exchange, automatic build
by externally combining the operate simultaneously over a square build start, as well as an external preheating
output of 12 laser amplifiers. envelope of 600 x 600 x 600mm. Claimed station and external depowder station, have
Thermographic imaging of the by SLM Solutions to be the fastest machine been included as part of the solution.
final beam combiner revealed on the market, the system operates up to ‘Up until now, the limit had been
only marginal heating. 20 times faster than its single-laser system considered to be that of a quad laser
According to the researchers,
and up to five times faster than its four-laser system,’ said Sam O’Leary, COO at SLM
from the Friedrich Schiller
University, Jena, and the system. Solutions. ‘What we deliver here with 12kW
Fraunhofer Institute for Applied It is designed to be used in serial of installed laser power is truly ground-
Optics and Precision Engineering production for high-volume applications breaking and a major step forward, not
(IOF), power scaling to the 100kW as well as for printing large parts, which is just for additive manufacturing, but for
level could be achieved by adding expected to open up new applications in the manufacturing in general.’
even more amplifier channels.
automotive and aerospace industries.
The investigation of novel
applications at that power, and The new machine features a new optic The MetalFAB-600
transfer of the laser technology system that enables large overlap and is Once released the MetalFAB-600 will
to commercial systems is based on a tailor-made laser scanning offer a slightly larger build envelope of
ongoing within the frame of the system to best fit the build area. All 12 600 x 600 x 1,000mm, while also being
Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence optics provide spot-size definition via a able to offer a deposition rate of up to
Advanced Photon Sources, double lens system called zoom function, 1,000cm3/h with its 10 1kW lasers. It will
which involves engineering the
which enables customers to choose be developed on a platform that allows
laboratory setup into a rugged
design. On the research side, between different spot sizes in the focal for even further expansion of the build
the team in Jena is focused on plane. The system will offer deposition rates volume and productivity in the future. The
multicore fibres with potential to of up to 1,000cm3/h and more. system’s powder handling, alignments, and
deliver superior performance in To facilitate the integration of the NXG XII calibrations will all be automated to ensure
simpler and smaller systems. 600 into factories and supply chains, several the highest possible output.
Airbus validates production of titanium components using multi-laser 3D printer
Premium Aerotec
Airbus has validated the The new validation is differences from the previous
production of titanium significant for components quality standard,’ said Thomas
aerospace components using that occupy much of the Bielefeld, project manager
a multi-laser 3D printer from GE available space in the machine, of aerospace firm Premium
Additive. which previously, due to their Aerotec, who partnered with
It enables single titanium dimension, were not validated GE Additive to achieve the
components to be built at an to be built at a faster rate using the influence of the process validation.
increased rate in GE Additive’s multiple lasers in parallel. heat, is necessary to achieve ‘At the same time... we have
Concept Laser M2 printer by The process-critical area the desired material properties. succeeded in increasing
using two lasers simultaneously. is where the exposure zones ‘With this advanced productivity in component
This differs from a separate of the lasers overlap, also technology, we are now able production by more than 30 per
validation that took place in known as the stitching zone. to achieve a homogeneous, cent.’
2019, which enabled multiple The highest precision in the quasi-isotropic structure with Premium Aerotec will now use
components to be built in calibration of the optical excellent material properties the newly validated system to
parallel in the printer, each systems and sophisticated in the overlap area, which produce components for the
manufactured by a single laser. compensation of, for example, does not show any discernible Airbus A320 family.
6 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE WINTER 2020 @LASERSYSTEMSMAG | WWW.LASERSYSTEMSEUROPE.COM
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FEATURE: ELECTRONICS
UPHOLDING THE LAW
Keely Portway discovers
Fraunhofer ILT
how lasers are being
used to advance
Moore’s law, and how
this technology could
become more accessible
to SMEs
Moore’s Law came into being more than
50 years ago, when a research specialist
at American semiconductor company,
Fairchild Semiconductor, suggested that the
number of transistors in dense integrated
circuits could double every two years.
That specialist, Gordon Moore,
consequently predicted that the speed The EUV source at Fraunhofer ILT’s Excimer facility delivers 40W at 13.5nm
and capability of computers would
also increase every two years. Moore’s smartphones from multiple vendors in the
prediction has since been used in the next year.
semiconductor world for planning and “The cost of To put the size of the transistors into
product development, and has been a near-
reality ever since. This has been driven by
the systems is context – and return to Moore’s Law – there
are about 171 million of them laid out over
advances in photolithography, one of the exorbitant right now every square millimetre of the chip. This
key technologies behind size reduction of
computer chip components.
and it is not going to has been possible thanks in no small part to
Dutch firm ASML.
While there is not a definitive consensus become cheaper any The lithography system manufacturer
about when, or if, Moore’s law will come to
an end, there has been speculation that
day soon” developed a technique to carve circuitry
patterns into silicon via extreme ultraviolet
semiconductor advancement has slowed in (EUV) lithography – and this is where lasers
the past 10 years. However, in the last two earn their stripes. Back in 2018, laser
years, manufacturers of this technology manufacturer Trumpf described at Epic’s
have developed new, mass-fabrication segment last year, which is expected to Executive Meeting on Industrial Lasers
practices, for which lasers play a crucial role. experience the fastest growth during the how it was using CO2 lasers to develop
Some recent market predictions next five years, largely because of the EUV lithography systems for this purpose.
appear to dispute the slowing of growing investments in telecommunication Dr Andeas Popp, a project head at Trumpf
semiconductor development altogether. network deployments, including 5G Photonic Components, explained that this
The Semiconductor Industry Association networks. new application of CO2 lasers will be key
recently announced that global sales of The most recent, and arguably one of for taking the next step in Moore’s law.
semiconductors totalled $113.6bn in the the most famous, examples is the iPhone This is because the size of semiconductor
third quarter, an increase of 11 per cent on 12. The new smartphone features what structures on chips are approaching
the previous and a 5.8 per cent increase Apple calls the world’s first processor atomic dimensions – something that has
year-on-year. Looking ahead, Technavio’s built from 5nm transistors: the A14. The been made possible by complex exposure
Global Semiconductor Market 2020-2024 processor was supplied to Apple by Taiwan processes enabled by lasers.
report forecasts that the global market size Semiconductor Manufacturing Company
will grow more than $90bn by 2024. (TSMC), for use in its smartphones, tablets To the limit
and Mac computers. It is anticipated that Previously, exposure processes had been
Driven by 5G the transistors – which are about the width performed using UV radiation generated by
Technavio’s report states that major market of 25 atoms – will also begin to appear 193nm excimer lasers. But this wavelength
growth came from the integrated circuits in some of the leading PCs, servers and range faces limitations when producing
8 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE WINTER 2020 @researchinfo
@LASERSYSTEMSMAG | www.researchinformation.info
| WWW.LASERSYSTEMSEUROPE.COMFEATURE: ELECTRONICS
Fraunhofer ILT
Fraunhofer ILT
At Fraunhofer ILT, a laboratory system for EUV has been built to Nanostructures with 300nm (left) and 28nm (right) half-pitch, created
process wafers with a diameter of up to 100mm using DUV and EUV technology respectively
structures less than 10nm in size. For users placing orders for the systems, to Counteracting the cost
structures in the range of 5nm, exposure at ramp up their mass production throughout But what about start-up companies, or
shorter wavelengths in the EUV range must 2018 and 2019. those of a smaller or medium size (SMEs)?
be used to provide the resolution necessary TSMC was one such company, and is now The ASML machines cost in excess of
for their fabrication. sole supplier of the A14 processor to Apple. $120m (£90m) each, which is high even
Trumpf collaborated with ASML, its Samsung is also putting the technology to compared with other semiconductor
subsidiary Cymer and optics giant Zeiss, to good use, and is set, alongside Qualcomm, industry tools.
develop the systems. The EUV lithography to imminently reveal a new processor for This has led many speculators to argue
technology quickly generated interest Android phones. Then there is Intel, which that, because the cost of a single EUV layer
from major semiconductor manufacturers, is reportedly looking to start using the on a chip is about three times the cost of a
according to the company, with such end- technology next year. layer that uses traditional processing, this g
NEXT-GENERATION URBAN MINING
Fraunhofer ILT
Fraunhofer ILT has spent the electronic devices in a cost-
past four years heading up the effective way.
completed EU project ADIR, The disassembly method
which saw lasers being used to relies on an intelligent
process electronics at the end combination of laser
of their lifespan. technology, robotics, vision
The project was launched systems and information
with the aim of developing a technology. Lasers are used
completely new, sustainable to perform key tasks such
and automated method of as identifying what each
recycling electronic devices component consists of, as
by disassembling them and well as desoldering or cutting
recovering the valuable raw components out of the board in
materials they contain. a fast, non-contact process.
It’s eight partners from three The procedure was proven
Lasers can recover valuable raw materials from end-of-life devices
countries sought to reduce the to be an efficient way to
EU’s dependency on natural recover strategically important partners have already attracted inverse production
resources, cut the need for materials of high economic interest from industry – having technologies. These are
costly imports of raw materials, value on an industrial scale. ‘We found an initial set of partners required to establish closed
and demonstrate technologies disassembled around 1,000 willing to put their methods into material cycles for a future
for inverse production. mobile phones and more than practice, while continuing to sustainable economy.
The new recycling concept 800 large computer printed seek further candidates. There is still room for
focuses on the elements circuit boards, from which we The advantages of the improvement in the concept,
tantalum, neodymium, tungsten, recovered several kilograms new recycling concept go however. According to the
cobalt and gallium. Found of components for recovery,’ beyond a more efficient use project partners, smart
in virtually every modern confirmed ADIR’s manager Dr of raw materials. According automation concepts could
electronic device, these metals Cord Fricke-Begemann. ‘We to Fraunhofer ILT, it has the be used to speed up the
are valuable due to their were able to gain between 96 potential to reduce Germany’s dismantling processes for the
scarcity, their cost – which in and 98 per cent of the tantalum.’ dependence on shipments housing of mobile phones to
some cases is close to €250/kg With the project now being of raw materials from other get access to the printed circuit
– and the tremendous difficulty completed and the concept’s regions, by offering new board, the battery and magnetic
of recovering them from used economic viability proven, the opportunities to introduce components.
WWW.LASERSYSTEMSEUROPE.COM | @LASERSYSTEMSMAG WINTER 2020 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE 9Apple FEATURE: ELECTRONICS
In terms of cost, while Danylyuk
acknowledged that, while it may never reach
the thousand-dollar mark, the system under
development will still be significantly more
accessible than those currently available. ‘I
think we will be looking at low six numbers,’
he said. ‘It depends on the requirements on
the source side.’
Discussing the challenges of working
toward such a technology – which has been
in development at Fraunhofer ILT for almost
10 years – Danylyuk said: ‘It’s probably hard
to go to the resolution of 5nm and below
with this technology, but we are looking
at a sub-20nm scale already, and whether
SMEs need such a small resolution. It should
The iPhone 12 features the world’s first processor built from 5nm transistors, thanks to laser technology be scalable to 10nm but it’s challenging,
both from a mass-manufacturing and a
g cancels out the benefits of transistors this wavelength. It is also much more compact positioning point of view. Systems have
size. than the laser-based EUV source used in to become more expensive if you want
Moreover, Moore’s Law historically large-scale industrial facilities. to drive to single nanometre precision.
yielded 40 per cent reductions in transistor ‘There are three main cost factors in Somewhere we need to make a cut and say
cost, but the benefit from this new EUV technology,’ continued Danylyuk, ‘the “that’s perhaps not what SMEs would need
technology will be closer to around 10 per point of source; the optical system, which anyway”.’
cent. In addition, by prohibiting smaller is extremely expensive and technologically An additional challenge for the institute
businesses and start-ups from accessing advanced in the large scale; and, of course, came with the positioning of the mask.
the technology, the cost could also prevent the positioning system, which places high ‘We had to position it in a sub-millimetre
more new and exciting developments demands in the nanometre range. We distance to the wafer, and make sure that
reaching the market. thought that smaller laser sources would be the distance is maintained over the full
To help counteract this problem, wafer size,’ said Danylyuk. ‘So we developed
Fraunhofer ILT is developing technologies a technology for maintaining dynamic
for the production of nanostructures that distance. Our system is currently working
start-ups or SMEs can also afford. The idea, “Fraunhofer ILT with 100mm wafers, and there is no reason
revealed Dr Serhiy Danylyuk, team leader
of EUV and DUV technology at the institute,
is developing why it cannot go larger, but the medium size
is what many of the SMEs are comfortable
is to generate periodic structures via the technologies for with, and there is a lot of technology
interference effects of coherent radiation,
like the achromatic Talbot effect. In the
the production of available for this wafer size.’
near field – less than 500µm behind a mask nanostructures that Ready and waiting
– an intensity distribution is created with
which microlithographic structures can be
start-ups or SMEs So, how do SMEs get their hands on this
technology? ‘Everyone is welcome to use
produced. can also afford” our facility to test this technology,’ said
Danylyuk explained: ‘The cost of the Danylyuk. ‘Depending on the end-use, we
systems is exorbitant right now and it is not can also speak with our partners about how
going to become cheaper any day soon. So, to bring the technology to the market. This
we got thinking that we could try to scale the best thing. We are basically happy to use way, people can get an idea of whether it is
down and make it possible for SMEs.’ any kind of source, depending on customer suitable for them, and what kind of effort is
Scientists at the institute are doing this requirements, but we believe our own needed to bring it into their facility.’
using a KrF excimer laser at a wavelength plasma source to be the cheapest.’ It is also worth noting if, after taking these
of 248nm to generate structures with a steps, SMEs still feel that the technology is
period of several hundred nanometres. This Masks or mirrors? out of their reach, there are other options
was tested with a Leap150K laser system Transmission masks were used as an available. ‘If the cost is still too high, they
from Coherent. In a photoresist, 180nm alternative optical scheme to reduce the could consider using far ultraviolet (FUV)
wide lines can be generated with a period of amount of mirrors required in the system. as the laser source,’ said Danylyuk. ‘It
600nm. With higher energies of 250mJ/cm², ‘We worked on a simpler scheme, using uses a similar technology and the same
silicon on glass can also be ablated with transmission masks not as expensive as type of approach that we use in EUV, but
similar dimensions. The technology is also mirrors,’ said Danylyuk. ‘We developed with FUV – and this may not give you the
well suited for the ablation of PET plastic these in-house and it means we can use sub-10nm structures, rather 100 to 150nm
surfaces on a 300nm scale. maybe one or two mirrors in the system, not – the technology is more scalable by using
The principle also works with wavelengths nine. This is not necessarily as scalable as commercially available UV laser sources.
in the EUV, as used to produce the 5nm using reflective masks, but if you are an SME ‘So, for people who may only need to use
transistors. The institute developed its own going for smaller volumes, this approach structures on the scale of under 200nm,
beam source for this purpose, the FS5440. could work. The mask is positioned in the with different materials, we can offer the
This is based on a gas discharge, and can vicinity of the wafer, and we can demagnify development of lithography-based UV, and
generate the required radiation at 13.5nm the structure by a factor of two.’ also direct laser structuring technology.’ l
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PHOTOPTICS 2021
9th International Conference on Photonics,
Optics and Laser technology precSYS 515: Scan System for
11-13 February, 2021 Challenging Micro Machining Applications
Online Streaming
• Optimized for 515 nm ultra-short pulse lasers
Keynote speakers
• Processing of flexible geometries with high aspect ratios
Dieter Bimberg, Bimberg Chinese-German Center for Green Photonics
of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, CIOMP and Center of Nanophotonics, • Smallest spot size for more precision
TU Berlin, Germany
Jean-Jacques Greffet, Laboratoire Charles Fabry, Institut d’Optique Graduate
School, Université Paris-Saclay, France
Enzo Di Fabrizio, Polytechnic of Turin, Italy
Gershon Kurizki, Weizmann Institute Of Science, Israel
www.photoptics.org www.scanlab.de
photoptics.secretariat@insticc.orgFEATURE: SAFETY
BOXING
UP THE
BEAM
Lasermet’s David move your head out of the way of the beam
before any damage can be done;
Lawton opens ‘Class 3 lasers can be of both visible
Matthew Dale’s eyes and invisible wavelengths and the beam
or (specular) reflected beam can damage
on modern challenges the eye or skin quicker than a quarter of a
in laser safety second. The diffused or scattered radiation of
a Class 3 laser, however, is safe, as it does not
pass the eye/skin damage threshold. In other
words, they are only dangerous if you are in
‘Almost everyone looking to use lasers for direct contact with the beam, looking at the
materials processing should be looking to spot itself will not cause harm.
Left: diagram of a laser enclosure containing a
use a Class 1 laser product.’ Class 4 lasers however are able to cause robot designed to build propellers. Right: the
That’s David Lawton’s view, as he sat damage with their reflected or scattered enclosure in use live at a trade show thanks to its
down with me to talk ‘the latest in laser radiation – you can’t even look at the spot. Class-1 laser product status
safety’. This of course depends on the wavelength
The statement raised a number of and power of the laser, divergence of the argument that suggests that: “if no PPE exists
questions, as despite being the editor of an beam etc, but it could be dangerous.’ that can protect you from this laser, then that
industrial laser magazine, embarrassingly I was slightly alarmed when he explained should be Class 5”, however for the moment,
I was not fully up to scratch with my laser that the power level of Class 4 lasers, rather the general consensus is that everything that
safety terminology. than starting at hundreds or even thousands could do that is still in Class 4.’
This is why I stopped Lawton immediately of watts, begins at no more than half a single With the class system covered, that
and let my curiosity get the better of me: watt. In case, like me, you need it pointing brought Lawton to the second half of the
‘What does that term actually mean David: out, that means that while Classes 1, 2 and 3 term I queried: ‘laser product’.
“Class 1 laser product”?’ cover anything up to 499mW, technically, a ‘During normal operation, a Class 1
While writing for Laser Systems Europe 500mW laser and a 100kW laser can belong laser product will never expose the user to
has taught me that you won’t find a materials in the same class when it comes to their anything above Class 1 levels of radiation,’
processing laser lower than Class 4, I’d never ability to harm a human. he explained. ‘A great example is a Blu-ray
actually stopped to think about what each ‘I feel like there should be at least a fifth player. This is a completely safe product that
class defines exactly. class in there somewhere David.’ anyone can use without safety training, a
Lawton was more than happy to indulge ‘You’d be right in thinking that,’ he said, ‘and risk assessment, signs outside the door etc.
me, however. the potential creation of Class 5 is something However it contains a Class 3 laser, meaning
‘The four classes of lasers have been that is being discussed, however where as soon as you open it up, you put yourself
determined based on each one’s ability to could the line be drawn for this? There’s an at risk.’
cause harm to the human body. An interesting example, I thought, but
‘Class 1 lasers are totally and how does this come into play in industrial
unconditionally safe, there is no way they
can cause human harm – think of a barcode
“The potential materials processing?
This is where Lawton introduced his and
scanner in a supermarket; creation of Class 5 Lasermet’s quite elegantly simple mantra:
‘Class 2 lasers are visible lasers that, while
being able to cause damage to the eyes,
is something that is ‘put it in a box’.
take longer than a quarter of a second to being discussed” Behind closed doors
do this – in which time your body’s natural The ‘put it in a box’ school of laser safety –
reflexes will either close your eyelids or as Lawton said it is colloquially known – is
12 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE WINTER 2020 @researchinfo
@LASERSYSTEMSMAG | www.researchinformation.info
| WWW.LASERSYSTEMSEUROPE.COMFEATURE: SAFETY
Lasermet
about creating an environment where no In this example, according to Lawton,
harmful radiation can escape and where no the interlock-equipped enclosure could
human can enter while a laser is active. be made to have the same Class 1 laser
“Many times
‘Why should you have to wear PPE if you product status as the aforementioned Blu- we’ve had to go to
can simply contain a laser in a controlled ray player.
environment? Even the UK’s Health and ‘The enclosure would have to be tens
customers because
Safety Executive (HSE) is starting to get of metres in length, depth and height to they’ve
in line with this way of thinking, advising contain such a process of course, but it
people to “enclose laser radiation where could be done,’ he confirmed. bought a Class-4
possible”.’ What Lawton said next enabled me laser rather than
This is in no way a new line of thinking. As to openly admit my lack of laser safety
in materials processing, there are very few knowledge at the start of this article. I’d a Class-1 laser
lasers with which you can even stand in the previously been under the impression product”
same room. As a result, nearly all materials that everyone involved in laser materials
processing lasers are either contained in a processing – besides myself of course –
laser machine, or instead have an enclosure was well-versed in laser classes and what
erected around them, armed to the teeth exactly a ‘Class 1 laser product’ was. This purchased a Class 1 laser product, they
with interlocked doors, active guarding, apparently isn’t the case, however. wouldn’t have had to do any of that in the
safety windows and bright LED signage. ‘So many times we’ve had to go to first place.
‘Laser safety is about understanding customers because they’ve bought a
the hazards, containing those hazards and Class 4 laser when they should have just Not as simple as it seems
making sure that nobody is exposed to purchased a Class 1 laser product,’ he While ‘put it in a box’ does somewhat
them,’ continued Lawton. ‘This is why the revealed. ‘For example one customer simplify laser safety from a user
“put it in a box” methodology is so elegant, bought a Class 4 laser to mark parts on a perspective, the same cannot be said for
because with it, laser safety isn’t actually production line. The manufacturer of the those actually making the ‘box’.
that difficult. It can apply to anything from a laser was under no obligation to tell the Before I continue, those reading should
small multi-watt laser on a tabletop, through customer “by the way, because you now first know that the cost-per-watt of lasers
to a turnkey system containing a kilowatt have a Class 4 laser in your organisation, has dropped dramatically in the past 15
laser, and even on to, for example, a colossal you’ll have to perform a risk assessment, years.
enclosure that can take a part as large as an appoint a laser safety officer and provide ‘Even within this decade lasers have been
aircraft wing and process it using a multi- additional training for your users.” If that seen as a monster investment,’ said Lawton.
kilowatt laser.’ customer had been savvy and instead just ‘For example, one of our customers bought g
WWW.LASERSYSTEMSEUROPE.COM | @LASERSYSTEMSMAG WINTER 2020 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE 13FEATURE: SAFETY
Cyan-Tec
Left: a large laser welding enclosure in use at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in the UK. Right: inside the laser welding enclosure
g a 10kW laser a while ago for a whopping Lasermet also has to consider what happens do this...“children running the sweet shop”,
£1m. They’ve since bought a 30kW laser for if the laser spot is reflected directly during I call it!’
less than that.’ processing, which is known to happen, He quickly gave evidence to show that
Combined with the advent of fibre laser according to Lawton: ‘Welding metal creates this remark was not unwarranted: ‘I have
technology, this lowering cost has enabled a molten pool that, due to surface tension, seen a UK company buy a laser product
lasers to be used increasingly for remote can sometimes act as a perfect reflector and from a US firm, and the sources that the US
welding. ‘Previously, when CO2 lasers were bounce a powerful spot of radiation onto a manufacturer said were inside the device
the standard, welds would be performed at guard, screen or wall.’ were not the sources in the delivered
a 50 to 100mm standoff from the workpiece, As a result, the firm has to presume product. What had happened was that the
using a system of mirrors to deliver the the worst when building a laser safety US manufacturer had changed the sources
beam,’ said Lawton. ‘Fibre lasers enable the enclosure: what happens if the laser gets a few years prior and not actually changed
beam to be sent along an optical fibre and locked in position, striking a wall directly at the product’s classification. This device
down a robotic arm, which combined with maximum intensity? went from being an eye-safe product to a
developments in optics enables remote non-eyesafe product, and had been sold
welding to be performed up to distances worldwide.’
of well over a metre. I have seen a laser Asking Lawton why there hasn’t been any
1.8m away from the focal point in such an “It’s quite common move towards legislatively controlling laser
application!’
For that setup, Lawton explained, it would
for manufacturers product certification, he said that such a
question had indeed been raised before at an
mean that even 1.8m past the focal point to self-certify... annual laser safety forum in which he takes
of the laser, the power density could be the
same as it was when it originally came out
‘children running part. ‘The argument that came back was that
there are many other aspects of products,
of the optics – spread over a diameter of the sweet shop’, for example regarding electromagnetic
approximately 20mm.
‘The power density is still dangerously
I call it!” compliance, the low voltage directive etc,
that are listed in a declaration of conformity –
high away from the focal point, which from almost all of which can be self-certified.’
a safety perspective brings a whole new Seeing that I wasn’t convinced that such
level of risk,’ he remarked. ‘Remote welding Children running the sweet shop an argument was strong enough to justify
is a real challenge. While the whole process Thanks to the ‘worst case scenario’ a lack of legislative control over laser
can still be put in a “box”, you have to measures taken by system and enclosure certification, Lawton asked rhetorically: ‘Is
determine whether the box is good enough manufacturers, despite the dangers it right that a manufacturer can say ‘this is a
to stop the beam. This will determine what that lasers pose, owners of Class 1 laser “Class X” laser product, and you’ll just have
sort of enclosure is required and what that products can have peace of mind that their to take my word for it?’
enclosure will be made of.’ laser is locked away safely behind closed, While Lasermet was accredited by the
In testing enclosures, Lasermet has to fire interlocked doors... right? UK’s National Accreditation Body (UKAS) in
lasers of different powers and spot sizes at Not necessarily, as I soon found out July, which enables it to test the safety of
its guarding to determine how quickly they thanks to Lawton’s final and rather shocking customer’s laser equipment in-situ to the
burn through it. A protective exposure limit point: that anyone can self-certify a Class 1 laser safety standards BS EN 60825-1:2014,
(PEL) rating is then given to the product. ‘You laser product, and that most companies do 2007, 2001, such independent tests are not
can then calculate the foreseeable exposure just that. yet compulsory by law.
limit (FEL) on the guard, so we know how the This baffled me. To know that rather I’d like to think that this could one day
laser will interact with it,’ Lawton explained. than being regulated and controlled by change. However, if any of you out there
‘As long as the FEL is below the PEL for a governing body, the certification of a can convince me otherwise as to why this
the time required, then the guard will stop system containing a Class-4, multi-kW laser would not be a good idea, feel free to voice
the beam, otherwise, the beam will burn as a ‘Class 1 laser product’, has most likely your thoughts in an op-ed for our next issue:
through.’ been done by the system’s manufacturer. editor.lasersystems@europascience.com l
In addition to accounting for various beam ‘It’s quite common for manufacturers to
divergences and their intensities when self-certify,’ said Lawton candidly. ‘Even the David Lawton is European sales
building an enclosure for remote welding, largest and most respectable laser firms manager at Lasermet
14 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE WINTER 2020 @LASERSYSTEMSMAG | WWW.LASERSYSTEMSEUROPE.COMLASER SAFETY –
A MATTER OF TRUST
Photo: K. Fuchs / blz
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www.blz.org/laser-safetyINTERVIEW: AUTOMOTIVE
LIGHT ON THE LINE
We ask Martin Kuhnhen, welding and assembly jobs before and after
these processes. Historically, automotive
and achieve the required volumes for
a runoff of a production line. Whereas
head of Jenoptik’s Light firms have had to manage several suppliers automotive firms used to manage that very
& Production division, working on different pieces to bring all of
this together, which can introduce logistical
well themselves, they are now trusting more
and more in strategic partners to do this.
about the usage of and timing issues. Jenoptik now considers the integration
laser technology on If one entity is able to provide the
equipment for all of these processes,
of production lines to be one of its core
competencies. On a customer-specific
automotive production then this takes a big headache away from programme basis, we select the right
lines manufacturers. With the disruptive change
in the automotive sector, the industry is
combination of components, bring them
together and manage them with the right
focusing on other topics now, so everyone software. It is no longer just producing
Jenoptik has recently won a major order is happy to find suppliers that can take standalone machines. We use our own laser
for three automated production lines these traditional headaches away. modules, products and software to enhance
from Gestamp, a manufacturer of metal standard components from the market and
automotive components. The firm’s Could you elaborate on this ‘disruptive secure the necessary performance.
light and production division will design, change’ in the automotive sector?
manufacture and integrate the three lines, This refers to, for example, the fact that the How are lasers currently being used for
each of which will use different welding automotive industry is currently having to manufacturing in the automotive sector,
and laser cutting technology to help manage the transition from conventional what makes them suited for this purpose?
manufacture complex car body parts for engines to e-mobility, the introduction of Lasers are used to cut vehicle doorings,
electric vehicles. autonomous driving, or having to follow ABC pillars or really any structural part in
We caught up with division head Martin customers to Asia. There are several trends, a car body made out of press-hardened
Kuhnhen, to ask how laser technology is all happening in parallel, which keeps steel. They are preferable, as they offer a
being used on such production lines, as well automotive firms very busy compared to wear-less process – alternative mechanical
as how established it is as a manufacturing previous years. tooling would wear out very quickly. This is
tool in the automotive industry. In addition, the core competencies of a major market for laser processing, with
automotive firms are shifting. We are seeing many parts now coming into this corner.
What led to Jenoptik becoming an more and more automotive firms saying Lasers are also increasingly being used
integrator of automotive production lines? that manufacturing is no longer their most to cut and trim aluminium castings, such
Historically Jenoptik has been in the important core competence. Consequently, as domes, cross members, rear lids and
business of standalone machines. This they need to find reliable partners to also plastic parts – both on the interior and
is because laser processing used to be address this part of their business. This is exterior of a vehicle.
conducted in such machines via individual because they still have to meet deadlines In addition to welding and cutting,
logistics – mostly manual, sometimes
Jenoptik
with gantry solutions. Nowadays laser
processing is much more integrated into
production lines.
Jenoptik’s light and production division
has acquired a few automation integration
companies in North America and Spain
over the past three years. We did this
because we saw that there is an increasing
demand for end-to-end processes from
automotive manufacturers and their
suppliers. Lasers are just one part of these
processes, meaning that such customers
are also requesting that pre- and post- laser
processes are included in their production
lines as well.
For example, if a production line was
producing complete doorings for vehicles
from press-hardened steel: while laser
cutting and welding are important parts Gestamp’s new Jenoptik production lines will each use different welding and laser cutting
of that line, there are also conventional technology to help manufacture complex car body parts for electric vehicles
16 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE WINTER 2020 @researchinfo
@LASERSYSTEMSMAG | www.researchinformation.info
| WWW.LASERSYSTEMSEUROPE.COMINTERVIEW: AUTOMOTIVE
Lasers can be used to cut
vehicle doorings, ABC pillars
and any other structural part
in a car body made out of
press-hardened steel
based inspection and AI usage in order to
make the adjustment of process parameters
easier on the fly. That will be a big step
going forward.
Do many more automotive firms still need
to make the switch to laser technology?
Certainly. In the automotive industry, a large
number of manufacturers still need to adopt
laser processes. If you take laser cutting
of press-hardened steel for example, three
“Core competencies automotive suppliers currently dominate the
of automotive market. They process approximately 70 per
cent of all the parts. Why is that the case?
firms are shifting... areas in the automotive industry. We Because laser processing is a complex
more and more say are engaged in a couple of research
programmes focusing on applications
process. They invested early in the game
and increased their knowhow. By taking on
manufacturing is no where new functionality is being introduced the whole integration process ourselves,
into parts. For example, there are exterior firms like Jenoptik can reduce the barriers
longer their most parts for autonomous vehicles that have to adopting laser processing, enabling more
important core special lighting functionality built in, allowing and more smaller automotive manufacturers
the vehicle to signal to pedestrians and tell to ‘join the family’, as it were.
competence” them ‘I see you’, when a pedestrian wants
to use a road crossing. In producing such Lasers in the visible wavelength are
parts, lasers play an important role. Such increasingly considered for e-mobility
Jenoptik’s production lines perform products will be seen on the streets in the fabrication. Will Jenoptik keep an eye on
applications such as laser marking and next 12 to 18 months. this technology?
scoring. Airbag scoring, for example, is We appreciate the technical benefits of
implemented on driver airbag covers and We see that process monitoring and green or blue lasers when welding material
instrument panels on the passenger’s AI is gaining increasing interest in the like copper or aluminium, and in general,
side. It has to be very precise and reliable automotive sector. Why? we are open to integrate them in our
and produce a defined break-line in such Process monitoring is required as the automation lines if specified.
material, which allows the airbag to explode materials brought into a production line Nevertheless, our automotive customers
through its cover material, but only when it have different tolerances. If output is to be are clearly addressing the economic aspect
should, on impact. In addition, when welding increased, materials have to be measured as well, and here infrared single-mode laser
components for e-mobility, for example in and inspected at the beginning of the sources, combined with intelligent process
batteries, extreme precision is also required, production line, then parameters have to parameters and laser beam shaping,
as you are processing components next to be changed on the fly when materials of have major benefits, while providing very
explosives. different tolerances are introduced. acceptable application results.
Lasers also introduce a lot of flexibility Previously, you would have had to take
to automotive manufacturing. For example these out and say ‘I can’t process them’. Do you believe other manufacturers of
if you were producing bumpers, some Now you can adjust parameters constantly, laser equipment will shift to also become
might require parking sensors, while others which is enabled by AI and other software- integrators?
will not. Whereas previously individual based features for process monitoring. Most of the laser industry is still focusing on
machines would have been required for The inclusion of AI and process individual processing heads, laser sources
each bumper configuration, now they could monitoring in production cells is certainly an or turnkey systems. However, we clearly
all be run through a single laser machine increasing demand among our customers. see the automation and integration of
in a one-piece flow logic. In addition, For example, we also sold a complex line for laser technology will become a trend. We
automotive manufacturers would have to cutting metal tubes for automotive e-drive constantly improve our own competence to
runoff production lines for producing new support frames that used AI to adjust the stay ahead of the game, and have received
vehicles, while keeping old equipment to specific cutting position by analysing the very positive feedback from our customer
produce spare parts for previous vehicles. introduced material. This is a relatively new base already.
A laser machine can instead be used to trend and we see that AI for camera-based The three production lines we are
produce spare parts when required, while process monitoring – both pre- and post- currently producing for Gestamp, which
mainly processing parts for new vehicles, process – will increase in the future. include 20 laser cutting modules, represent
minimising disruption. The path going forward is definitely to a significantly larger volume for Jenoptik, in
Lasers will also move into new application enhance laser capabilities with more camera comparison to our traditional projects. l
WWW.LASERSYSTEMSEUROPE.COM | @LASERSYSTEMSMAG WINTER 2020 LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE 17You can also read
