Industrial laser and systems maker TRUMPF (Ditzingen, Germany) has invested nearly 30 million euros (around $34.1 million) in new development and production facilities for solid state-lasers. The new production facility in Schramberg, Germany, due to begin production by the end of 2017, will offer 12,000m2 of additional floor space, enlarging the total available production area to nearly twice its current size. The company plans to expand its development center in Schramberg—inaugurated in 2013—by adding an additional floor covering an area of 1800m2.
"Schramberg is the cradle of the laser industry in Germany and a global forerunner when it comes to solid-state lasers," says Peter Leibinger, vice chairman of the managing board of TRUMPF GmbH + Co. KG and chairman of the Laser Technology Business Division. "Given how the laser industry has been developing economically, we're optimistic that we'll be able to create even more jobs at the Schramberg site in the years to come."
In the current 2015/2016 business year, TRUMPF has equipped an average of 60% of its machine tools for cutting applications with solid-state laser. Next year, this number is expected to rise to 70%. The demand for this laser is also on the rise in material processing. "Many industrial applications aren't even possible without solid-state lasers," explains Leibinger. "Microprocessing in particular is a field in which lasers are really tapping into new, fascinating possibilities. But they have also established themselves as reliable laser beam sources in high-power applications such as automobile manufacturing and shipbuilding."
The light emitted from a solid-state laser features a smaller wavelength, measuring a single micrometer. This allows it to be coupled into a flexible fiber optics cable so the laser light is able to reach the workpiece easily and directly, making it much simpler to integrate into production lines. A further advantage of this laser is its comparatively high overall efficiency, making it a much more economic option for manufacturers.
For more information, please visit www.trumpf.com.