SYNOPTICS celebrates 50 years of synthetic crystal manufacturing
Charlotte, NC - This year marks the 50th anniversary of synthetic crystal manufacturer SYNOPTICS, a Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) company, whose products are primarily used in solid-state lasers. The company's laser rods are used in thousands of installations worldwide for industrial material processing applications.
Founded in 1965 as part of Litton Industries, SYNOPTICS has become a critical supplier for a diverse commercial business that crosses the medical, industrial, and scientific laser markets, as well as supporting key Northrop Grumman programs.
Since joining Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Products enterprise in 2001, SYNOPTICS has received the Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems Quality Award on five separate occasions and the President's Award in 2009.
For more information, please visit www.northropgrumman.com.
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.