Puchheim, Germany - Scanlab, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, is one of the photonics industry's ‘hidden champions’. Its scanner products find use worldwide in countless industrial and medical applications requiring precise positioning of laser beams. Developing galvanometer scanners and control electronics was the company's original focus and remains one of its core competencies. Its headquarters is undergoing further expansion to better cope with increasing sales and staff.
Since 1990, Scanlab has provided the laser market with deflection solutions. Then, highly dynamic rotary drives (known as galvanometer scanners) and related electronics first had to be developed. Today, these further-refined drives remain core components and competencies of the company's scan solutions.
The company relies on leading R&D expertise and a broad product palette of galvanometer scanners, optics, hardware, software, and control solutions, at a relatively low degree of vertical integration. It produces scan systems in high volumes, alongside niche products and customer-specific solutions. An August 2015 ground-breaking ceremony will celebrate the third expansion phase of the company's modern headquarters, adding 5500 m2 of floor space to the already existing 6500 m2. The company produces over 20,000 systems annually.
"2015 is a milestone not only in terms of our anniversary, but also because we introduced more new products than ever at this year's LASER World of Photonics tradeshow in Munich," says Scanlab CEO Georg Hofner. "Our focus on serving the market as an experienced OEM manufacturer with long-term customer relationships has proven its worth. In general, the photonics industry continues growing while new laser-scanner applications arise worldwide. And the laser market's many new developments, such as ultrashort-pulse (USP) lasers, inspire us to view the future confidently."