Laser manufacturers and laser users from diverse industries and sectors met for the 7th time at the International Laser Technology Congress AKL´08, which is held every two years. More than 500 participants from industry and the sciences visited expert speeches, live presentations and seminars in the sunny "city of emperors". With growth of 20% over AKL ´06, the event has once again underscored its position in Germany as the leading forum for applied laser technology in production processes.

The International Laser Technology Congress - or abbreviated as AKL'08 (German) - attracted approximately 500 "beginners" and experts from the worlds of industry and the sciences to Aachen, the one-time seat of the Holy Roman Empire, from 7 to 9 May. As the event's organizer the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology in Aachen can be proud of notching up a 20 percent increase in attendance over AKL'06.

Laser users, laser manufacturers and R&D specialists were ideally accommodated for swapping ideas and experiences in Aachen. A far cry from the usual trade fair hectic and overfilled major events, the atmosphere was perfect for discussing trends in laser technology with like-minded experts from the most diverse industrial sectors, and for breathing life into new ideas for future activities.

International participants joined the practical needs-oriented exchange of experiences for the first time. Speeches were given in both German and English.

For new and old laser enthusiasts alike
The scope of the 57 specialist speeches is certainly worth taking another look at. The spectrum ranges from introductory and practical contributions to starter seminars, speeches on new laser beam sources and applications, such as polishing with lasers, on through to joint project reports in the "Laser Applications in the Aviation Industry" EU innovation forum accompanied with live presentations.

The Technology Business Day, which addressed managing directors, CEOs and leading company executives, among others, highlighted the laser markets in Europe, the USA, Japan and China.

Laser Live!
Visitors saw just how lasers "strike a light" in practice with 80 live presentations in the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology and with the companies of the Laser User Center.
Whether it was the new design options provided by laser-structured tools with dashboards, innovative turbine components with new repair options with the new laser surface-layer welding, or new concepts for glasses provided by laser-joining plastics and metals - every user found helpful suggestions that they can transfer to their products and services.
The well-attended exhibition by the sponsors also provided visitors with plenty of room for an intensive exchange with laser, component and system manufacturers. 39 companies were on hand to answer questions from both experienced and new laser users alike.

Innovation Award Laser Technology 2008 - And the award goes to ...
The winner of the Innovation Award Laser Technology 2008 with EUR 10,000 in prize money is Daimler Engineer, Bertold Hopf, Daimler AG, Sindelfingen in Germany. As Head of Material and Production at the Technology Department, together with Dr. Klaus Debschütz and the Daimler AG Project Team, he was instrumental in the development of RobScan (robot-guided remote scanner for laser beam welding), a new laser welding process in vehicle manufacturing.

The RobScan system's innovation is essentially the result of a combination of various hardware components, Daimler-developed process technologies and process monitoring software. With the incorporation of established benefits, the full potential of the Remote Scanner was utilized with additional process engineering options and new monitoring systems. The result: higher welding speeds and welding quality. The RobScan process consequently combines the high speeds and precision of scanner optics with the flexibility of a robot.

For more information on the innovation award and the finalists go to www.innovation-award-laser.org.