Coherent Entertains and Informs Visitors at TechNight 2019

The SmartCut+ application delivers improved results, particularly when welding dissimilar or “challenging” materials, such as aluminum and copper.    

Visitors were treated to a tour and demonstrations in the applications labs and manufacturing facilities where Coherent produces most of its sub-systems and turnkey systems for industrial materials processing applications. Afterward, the guests enjoyed food, entertainment, and the company of their colleagues in the balmy German evening.

“Our ‘Center of Excellence’ here in Munich combines two formerly separate Coherent groups – the laser marking group which was in nearby Gunding, and the industrial laser sub-system and turnkey system business which was already located near Munich,” notes Dr. Armin Renneisen, General Manager. “The overall goal of that move was to leverage our extensive applications and process knowledge, together with our expertise in building laser-based sub-systems and systems, to offer products that make industrial manufacturing more efficient and cost effective. This open house was an opportunity for people to see for themselves the capabilities we offer, and also gave everyone involved a chance to develop closer personal relationships in a relaxed atmosphere that wasn’t just all about business.” 

The Coherent Munich site includes products optimized for a wide range of applications, such as glass cutting for displays, precision tube cutting and marking for medical devices, plastics marking and welding for automotive production, and marking for home appliances (white goods). Other processes that this Coherent location supports include precision microstructuring and marking for microelectronics manufacturing, hairpin welding for e-mobility, and cutting and welding systems for everything from jewelry to car bodies. Coherent took the opportunity to showcase some of its most recent innovations, such as the SmartCut+ Application Package for StarFiber lasers, which delivers dramatically improved results when cutting or trepanning microcontours in metal. 

Numerous guests reported that the evening provided valuable new information and useful insights, as well as excellent food and company, of course!

“What impressed me most was the amount of resources Coherent have devoted to applications development,” states Herbert Biller from Siemens. “They have a number of labs, with just about every industrial laser type known, available to perform tests on samples. Plus, their personnel have quite a bit of knowledge that can be applied to develop customer specific process recipes to ensure success for a particular application.”  

Aki Hasegawa from Aflair, Inc. reports, “I thought the control software for some of the sub-systems was quite remarkable. Yet the interface is still simple enough for production line personnel to use. And application packages like SmartCut+ enable the user to perform very sophisticated operations that really enhance productivity and improve results.”

“We’re happy we had this opportunity to meet so many members of the photonics community and learn more about the incredibly diverse range of applications they’re involved in,” concludes Renneisen. “And, I am sure that they came away from the event knowing that, whatever you’re doing with lasers, Coherent have your applications covered.”