A closed-loop, real-time sensor ensures that only the paint is stripped off the workpiece by a pulsed laser. Credit: GLC; You Tube. Lasers were invented in the 1960s (by whom is a made-for-Hollywood story waiting to be told) and at the time were called a “solution looking for a problem.” As laser technology evolved, it…
Read MoreGlass forming machine with a bank of 5-20 identical sections, each of which contains one complete set of molding mechanisms to make containers. Credit: Wikipedia Laser manufacturing usually conjures images of high energy welding, rapid prototyping or precision cutting. A recent press release from Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology describes a laser manufacturing method that…
Read MoreTopological optimization can be used to custom design prosthetic implants. Credit: Image created by Janet Sinn-Hanlon, Beckman ITG, University of Illinois Mathematics—the common language of science and engineering—often proves to be the doorway between disciplines. The common ground between a skyscraper, an airplane wing, and facial bones may not seem obvious until one realizes that from…
Read MoreSamples of textures achieved with laser-engineered bioceramic coatings. These coatingscan provide a 3D topographic cue and appropriate chemistry suitable for load bearingimplant applications. Credit: Narendra Dohotre. Surfaces of artificial implants that mimic natural structures are expected to improve biocompatibility by enhancing the connection between the living bone and the surface. The challenge is to create…
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