The focal point of the Stuttgart Laser Technology Forum (SLT ) 2010--to be held for the second time concurrently with LASYS, International Trade Fair for System Solutions in Laser Material Processing, June 8-10, 2010--will be the transfer of know-how and experience between research and industry. The forum will provide answers to a large number of questions relating to production practice: what can now be achieved with laser technology, what problems arise, how can they be solved, what form could solutions take, what laser process is ideally suited for what application, e.g. for marking, cutting, welding, drilling, structuring, removing material, etc.?
"Our basic objective with SLT '10 is to address all laser users, including those people who are intending to use lasers sometime in the future. This firstly involves operators of job shops, employees in research and development departments of larger companies, production managers in laser-based production and users wanting to solve production problems through laser technology, but also scientific staff from university research departments and advanced students of laser technology," said Dr. Rudolf Weber, Head of Process Development at the Institut fur Strahlwerkzeuge (IFSW) of Stuttgart University.
SLT will be staged for the first time over a period of three days with individual topics on each day. For example on the first day (8 June), the topic of laser micro processing will be examined. The second day (9 June) will be devoted to laser sources and the Plenary Session. The focal point of the third day (10 June) will be macro laser materials processing. Each day will be opened with a key topic. The participants will include Prof. Ursula Keller from the Institute for Quantum Electronics of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and Friedrich Kilian, a member of the Board of Management of TRUMPF GmbH + Co. Two topics will be jointly presented with the Symposium for Laser Precision Microfabrication: "Industrial micro laser material processing" and "Laser sources for micro laser material processing." There will be an additional treat on the second day because there are plans to visit the Institut für Strahlwerkzeuge (IFSW) of Stuttgart University in the afternoon.
In addition to top-class laser experts from industry and research, the highlights will include talks by renowned speakers during the Plenary Session. That's because laser technology is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2010. A. E. Siegman, an emeritus professor from Stanford University in the USA and a very prominent pioneer in the early years of laser technology and optics, has agreed to give a talk during SLT '10. Other respected speakers have been asked to take part. The Plenary Session will be an open event and is intended both for conference delegates and visitors to the trade fair.
SLT '10 is being organised by the Institut für Strahlwerkzeuge (IFSW) of Stuttgart University under the overall control of Prof. Thomas Graf, Head of IFSW. In 2008. 375 visitors made use of the wide range of know-how on offer during the Stuttgart Laser Technology Forum. Due to the attractive program, the organizers are expecting increasing visitor numbers at the ICS International Congress Centre Stuttgart.
LASYS is an international platform for system solutions in laser material processing and spans different materials and industries. It is closing the gap that has existed to date in this trade fair topic. For example, LASYS 2010 will primarily feature laser applications, product solutions, laser production systems for micro and macro material processing and for precision engineering, and the related components.