Trumpf acquires 100% of AFM Canada
Laser systems manufacturerTrumpf (Farmington, CT) acquired 100% of Advanced Fabricating Machinery (AFM), Canada. The recent completion of the acquisition enhances Trumpf’s position in the field of fabricating and laser technology in North America. “Ten years ago, Trumpf entered into a venture with Advanced Fabricating Machinery that has since turned into a very successful relationship,” said Rolf Biekert, president and CEO of Trumpf. AFM sells high-quality, flexible fabricating equipment that allows customers to maximize their profits.
II-VI takes majority stake in HighYAG
Industrial laser components and systems maker II-VI (Saxonburg, PA) has executed a definitive stock purchase agreement whereby a wholly owned subsidiary of II-VI will acquire 74.9% of the equity interests of HighYAG Lasertechnologie (Berlin, Germany) in exchange for cash. The remaining 25.1% of HighYAG will be owned by Bjoern Wedel, CEO of HighYAG, who will remain with the company as managing director after the acquisition by II-VI.
HighYAG, founded in 1995, designs and manufactures automated equipment to deliver high-power 1 µm laser light for cutting, drilling, and welding in automotive, semiconductor, and other materials-processing applications. HighYAG had revenues for the year ended Dec. 31, 2006, of approximately $6.2 million.
Quantum-cascade-laser companies cooperate
Laser Components (Hudson, NH) and Q-ON (Vienna, Austria) have agreed to work together in the field of quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). Q-ON has taken over the design and processing of wafers while Laser Components is responsible for the production, testing, integration, and packaging of the final SPECDILAS-Q in a TO housing and the QUANTA-OEM laser head. Q-ON was founded in 2005 as a spinoff of the Technical University in Vienna and Laser Components has had close contact with Q-ON since 2003. At that time, the QUANTA, the predecessor to the QUANTA-OEM, was equipped with a Viennese DFB-QCL.
Faro receives Laser Tracker order
Faro Technologies (Lake Mary, FL), a manufacturer of portable computer-aided measurement arms and laser trackers, received an order for 15 FARO Laser Tracker Xi units from Boeing for commercial airplanes tooling in the Puget Sound area. “Boeing now has a total of 41 FARO Trackers in the area, including those being used on Integrated Defense Systems programs,” said Jay Freeland, Faro president and CEO. The FARO Laser Tracker is a portable, three-dimensional measurement system that uses laser technology to effectively and accurately measure large parts, tooling, and machinery within its 230 ft range.
Navy awards laser rangefinder contract
Northrop Grumman (Apopka, FL) was awarded a contract potentially valued at more than $98 million for the procurement of nearly 940 Special Operations Forces Laser Acquisition Marker (SOFLAM) Special Operations Forces Laser Rangefinder Designators (SOFLRD) that enable Special Operations Forces personnel to locate and designate critical enemy targets for destruction using laser-guided ordnance. Naval Surface Warfare Center (Crane, IN) is the contracting source for the five-year, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract.
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Also in the news . . .
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers’ Industrial Laser Community has developed a laser-cutting certificate program for CO2 laser cutting. . . . A new division of Laser Photonics (Lake Mary, FL) called the Laser Depot (www.laserdepot.net) now makes the FiberTower XP Compact laser marking system available for monthly rental. . . . The European laser-fusion project, HiPER (www.hiperlaser.org), announced European Commission (EC) approval. . . . Amplitude Systemes (Bordeaux, France) and Amplitude Technologies(Evry, France) have created a U.S.-based subsidiary Amplitude Laser (Boston, MA) to provide sales and service support to North America for its diode-pumped ultrafast solid-state lasers for scientific and industrial applications. . . . LedEngin (Santa Clara, CA), a supplier of high-power LED components and light source modules, announced closing of its series C round of funding led by Partech International. . . . Coherent (Santa Clara, CA) will restate previously issued financial statements to correct errors related to accounting for stock-based compensation expense. . . . Spire (Bedford, MA) received a two-year, $870,000 Phase II Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Institutes of Heath to develop a high-power fiber laser capable of performing myringotomy and middle-ear surgery without the need for anesthesia. . . . Cal-Optics (Concord, NH) signed a two-year agreement to be the exclusive provider of LED test and light measurement equipment in North America for Everfine Photo-E-Info of China.