On October 25, 2007, Industrial Laser Solutions' Publisher/Editor-in-Chief David Belforte celebrated a milestone birthday. The magazine staff was looking for a special way to commemorate the day--one that would both honor Belforte and recognize his many years of dedication to the industrial laser community. Universal Laser Systems (ULS; Scottsdale, AZ; www.ulsinc.com ) provided the perfect solution. The company generously donated its time, materials, and use of a system to create a laser engraving of Belforte's likeness on marble (click here to watch the video).
David Stevens, ULS' applications manager, used one of the company's new ILS9.150 Industrial Laser Series CO2 laser systems to produce the engraving on a 12-in x 12-in (½-in thick) piece of black marble. Running at 50W laser power, the engraving took about 20 minutes. Stevens notes that the laser power available on the system ranges from 10 to 150W and the work area is 24 in x 36 in. Perhaps one of the most interesting features of this new system (the company just recently shipped its third unit) is the opening side doors for convertible pass-through capability, enabling the system to legally operate between CDRH Class 1 and Class 4.
When presented with the laser engraving, Belforte was "overwhelmed." The ILS staff is grateful to ULS for playing such a critical role in our celebration.--LJB