Leibniz University Hannover appoints new professor for laser additive processing
A newly established joint professorship between Leibniz University Hannover (LUH) and Laser Zentrum Hannover (LZH) in Germany has appointed Stefan Kaierle, Scientific-Technical Director of the Laser at LZH, as the Professor for Laser Additive Processing in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, effective August 15, 2021.
Since 2012, Kaierle has been lecturing on lasers in biomedical engineering and also on laser additive manufacturing.
Kaierle received his doctorate in mechanical engineering from RWTH Aachen University (Aachen, Germany). From 1998 to 2011, he headed the Systems Technology Department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (Fraunhofer ILT; also in Aachen), and from 2012 to 2018, he was Head of the Materials and Processes Department at LZH. Since 2018, he has been a member of the LZH Board of Directors and Scientific-Technical Director.
“The newly established professorship excellently addresses this topic [additive manufacturing] and thus expands the teaching and research in mechanical engineering and optical technologies in Hannover,” comments Kaierle.
David Belforte | Contributing Editor
David Belforte (1932-2023) was an internationally recognized authority on industrial laser materials processing and had been actively involved in this technology for more than 50 years. His consulting business, Belforte Associates, served clients interested in advanced manufacturing applications. David held degrees in Chemistry and Production Technology from Northeastern University (Boston, MA). As a researcher, he conducted basic studies in material synthesis for high-temperature applications and held increasingly important positions with companies involved with high-technology materials processing. He co-founded a company that introduced several firsts in advanced welding technology and equipment. David's career in lasers started with the commercialization of the first industrial solid-state laser and a compact CO2 laser for sheet-metal cutting. For several years, he led the development of very high power CO2 lasers for welding and surface treating applications. In addition to consulting, David was the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Industrial Laser Solutions magazine (1986-2022) and contributed to other laser publications, including Laser Focus World. He retired from Laser Focus World in late June 2022.