Santa Clara, CA - Laser micromachining workstations supplier 3D-Micromac AG (Chemnitz, Germany) has established 3D-Micromac America, LLC, in Santa Clara to better serve the North American market.
Brian Hoekstra, a laser industry veteran, will lead the newly formed company, which will promote and support precision, laser-based micromachining systems developed and manufactured in Germany by 3D-Micromac AG. The laser systems tackle challenging applications for medical device manufacturing, semiconductor and photovoltaic processing, and flexible electronic components production.
Prior to joining 3D-Micromac America, Hoekstra was a laser industry consultant and served as the CEO of Applied Photonics, Inc., where he pioneered laser glass cutting and marking for the LCD industry and developed some of the key touch-screen innovations that enabled the smartphone and smart tablet revolution. Prior to founding Applied Photonics, he held key positions at NASA, where he led space-based crystal growth projects, and the USAF Materials Laboratory, where he performed laser research on a variety of electronic and optical materials.