Lasers for Manufacturing Summit: The concepts and contacts you need to use lasers profitably

Orlando, FL - To arm manufacturing executives with the information they need to profit from laser-driven production in the 21st century, the Laser Institute of America (LIA) is bringing out big guns for its first Lasers for Manufacturing Summit on Sept. 22, 2014, at the Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL.

On tap to present at the summit are Mark Douglass of Longbow Research, renowned additive manufacturing expert Terry Wohlers, as well as representatives from GE Aviation and TRUMPF. The event will close with a laser manufacturing forum moderated by LIA Past President David Belforte, editor-in-chief of summit media premier partner Industrial Laser Solutions magazine.

Kicking off the intimate high-level briefing will be Douglass, who will give an overview of industrial laser markets. Wohlers will follow with a presentation on the current state of laser additive manufacturing. After a break, an industry expert will discuss applications in 3D printing, and TRUMPF's Sascha Weiler will address applications for ultrafast lasers.

"I plan on presenting an update on global economic trends, bringing it down to an end-market level and trying to tie it to an outlook for industrial lasers," Douglass says. "It seems like the opportunity to network with industry representatives and hear about the latest trends in laser markets and products is of value not only for suppliers and end users of lasers, but also investors."

Wohlers intends to address "how AM has reached the tipping point, with some of the largest companies and brands entering the business (as well as) growth trends and advances in metal AM, new generation developments that combine additive and subtractive methods, and the importance of design and redesign to take advantage of AM for production applications."

Capping the summit will be a one-hour panel discussion led by Belforte, whose keynote presentations have become a standing-room-only staple at LIA's Lasers for Manufacturing Event (LME).

Following the summit will be a 90-minute VIP reception allowing attendees to ask follow-up questions and share concerns with their peers.

After this intensive workshop, executives will be armed with broad knowledge on how to use laser technology for a host of applications and how to build business with that technology. Summit attendees and their staff can then learn more specifics by attending LME, which will feature brief presentations on current laser manufacturing solutions by top-tier companies exhibiting at the conference.

The Lasers for Manufacturing Summit is tailored specifically to presidents, CEOs, COOs, chief technology officers, R&D managers, business development directors, technology analysts, and sales and marketing executives. Visit www.lia.org/lasersummit for updates and more information.