The Industrial Laser Solutions Editorial Advisory Board and I spent part of the summer putting together a preliminary Editorial Calendar for 2022. Thanks to their support, and the cooperation of dozens of contributors, a very exciting schedule has been developed and I am sharing some of the diverse topics to be covered.
The first quarter will start 2022 with an exclusive interview of the head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (Fraunhofer ILT; Aachen, Germany) as he puts his stamp on future advances at this most prestigious laser materials processing R&D organization. Also, we begin a year-long look at advances in beam shaping processes with an article on processing curved parts and another on shaping for scanner based remote applications. A review of lasers in medical device manufacturing and an update on beam shaping for ultrashort-pulse (USP) lasers follows. The quarter ends with an important analysis of the China market for industrial laser processing and an introduction to beam shaping for scanner-based applications.
The second quarter continues Industrial Laser Solutions’ support of USP laser applications, with two features on these lasers for surface modification. Also, we’ll look at additive manufacturing of metals and polymers, and how beam shaping advances industrial operations. Then, we’ll close the first half by updating progress in high-power blue laser welding and finish with an inside look at the ‘ins and outs’ of laser processing complex parts.
The second half of 2022 will start with features on high-power nanosecond laser processing and high-speed material deposition. Then, we’ll look at welding large cylindrical cells for battery applications and get a detailed look at very-high power (>10 kW) metal cutting. The quarter closes with two features on additive manufacturing—one on beam-shaping processing and another on using a multilaser system to increase productivity.
The last quarter begins with an overview of global applications for very-high power fiber laser metal cutting and a method for laser marking shaped parts. We’ll then review advances in laser powder-bed fusion and take a glimpse into laser applications for the aerospace industry. The year-end features our first look at AI/machine learning for laser processing, plus a unique inside look at Chinese industries’ use of handheld lasers.
