News

Recently over 60 attendees from industry and academia attended the launch of the Ultrafast Laser Facility which is located in the National Centre for Laser Applications at LightHOUSE in the School of Physics.
The laboratory brings together several new short pulse laser technologies and advanced optical instrumentation, in a single clean room facility, which is most pertinent to the realisation of innovative intelligent manufacturing systems based on using light to make, monitor, and measure. The research facility targets LightFactories of the future, which propose all optical production facilities – highly relevant to Ireland’s SMART economy.
Over the last decade many multinational and SME manufacturing industries operating in Ireland, have embraced laser technology as an integral part of their production facilities. The transfer of many hundreds of lasers to their production lines clearly demonstrates the potential of laser technologies to compete with, and disrupt, many other well-established production tools. This optical transformation of manufacturing processes is predicted continue as it is driven by many important factors which respond to the global challenges associated with a highly competitive manufacturing supply chain.

First and foremost, the growth of photonics-based production lies in its versatility; laser technology is formidable in terms of the range of materials it can process and the many different functionalities or structures it can impart to materials. Laser tools are ideal positioned for rapidly evolving productive sectors; the properties of laser beams can be easily configured to adapt to different designs, component sizes and topographies. Laser technology is synonymous with precision; the ability to couple optical energy directly to electrons or other specific molecular components in materials is a key attribute. Manufacturing processes using laser technology can be readily scaled for high-volume production using high average power systems and multiple beam configurations. Moreover, the seamless integration of laser technology with other optical and non –optical tools provides strategic opportunities for on-line control, metrology and quality assurance. The application of photonic sensors to that probe the laser-material-ambient interaction at the molecular scale, which can provide feedback for adaptive real time control of the spatial, temporal, and energy profiles of laser beam is and will be an important enabling step. Finally, laser technology is tool which is readily accessible for start up and SME industries as its integration typically involves moderate capital costs, low running costs, and enables high added value production. The new laser facility at NUI Galway strengthens the position of the NCLA group to work with the many, now advanced, laser users that are an integral part of the productive sector in Ireland. In particular, the facilities seek to address both the micro- and nano-scale manufacturing for near and longer term integration. The research to be undertaken will specifically target understanding, creation, and optimisation of the laser–material – ambient interactions relevant to micro and nano–scale production.

The new facility at NUI Galway is centred on the latest innovations in picosecond and femtosecond laser sources which complement the many other state of the art laser resources at the NCLA facility. These systems, together with the additional reconfigurable beam delivery systems, can deliver pulses on demand to enable researchers study and exploit their application in materials structuring. Visualisation of the laser –material–ambient interactions, on nanosecond time scales, will contribute to defining the optimal use of these tools and to generating important intellectual properties on which processes can be developed and underpinned with indepth understanding. The incorporation of additional laser sources for illumination and high speed cameras provide continuous imaging on a microsecond time scales; nanosecond spectral imaging enables investigations of laser ablated matter, ablated surfaces, plasma plume propagation and the transformation of material properties. These techniques, combined with the insight gained from the completion of 7 doctorals, the submission of 6 patent applications and numerous interactions with industry position the facility as a key resource for supporting and transforming precision manufacturing in Ireland.

The facility is part of LightHOUSE and is developed as part of the Integrated Nanoscience Platform for Ireland, supported by the HEA under the PRTLI cycle 4 programme. The formal launch of the laser facility on Wednesday October 21st, was supported by Skillsnet project BestNET targeting photonics training for industry. Over 40 industrial attendees obtained key insights to the operation of and applications for the new laser sources and the other diagnostic tools which are part of the facility.

For more information please contact Alan Conneely or Dr. Gerard O’Connor: ncla@nuigalway.ie

Thomas Glynn elected SPIE fellow

SPIE, the international optics and photonics society, is to honour Thomas Glynn of the School of Physics, NUI Galway as Fellow of the Society for his achievements in laser materials processing and optics education.

SPIE will honour 59 new Fellows of the Society this year. Fellows are members of distinction who have made significant scientific and technical contributions in the multidisciplinary fields of optics, photonics, and imaging. They are honoured for their technical achievement, for their service to the general optics community, and to SPIE in particular. More than 600 SPIE members have become Fellows since the Society's inception in 1955.

“The annual recognition of Fellows provides an opportunity for us to acknowledge outstanding members for their service to the general optics community,” says María Yzuel, SPIE President.

Professor Glynn's research centres on the optical properties of materials, and throughout his career, he has made numerous contributions to studies of the optical properties of a wide range of materials, to the applications of laser systems in materials processing, and to optics education.

Just as important is his work in optics education and its broader dissemination of the principles and applications of photonics. Glynn is an active member of SPIE. He was elected to the SPIE Board of Directors for the term 2005-2007. He also was an organizer and chair of the Lasers & Optical Engineering conference (1997), and of the SPIE OPTO-Ireland regional conference (2002), both held in Galway.

President of NUI Galway, Dr James J Browne, said: “It is a well deserved honour which reflects on the work of Professor Glynn, on the success of the National Centre for Laser Application (NCLA), the School of Physics and indeed on NUI Galway”.

Launch of the Integrated Nanoscience Platform for Ireland

INSPIRE - The Integrated Nanoscience Platform for Ireland was officially launched by Dr. Jimmy Devins T.D., Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation on October 30th. LightHouse is one of ten partners in this national consortium, leading the strand on nano-photonics research.

More information is available on the INSPIRE website

Delivery of a new Fiber Laser Micromachining station from
Rofin-Baasel Laser and SPI Lasers

The National Centre for Laser applications recently accepted delivery of a new Fiber Laser Micromachining station from Rofin-Baasel Laser and SPI Lasers. This state of the art system has been presented to NCLA in order to showcase the technology to industry in Ireland. It is the only laser system of its type currently located in Ireland and promises to deliver significant advantages to manufacturing industry in Ireland due to the greater precision and throughput that it offers to firms involved in precision manufacturing operations.

The selection of NCLA as the demonstration site for this new technology underpins the Centres role as a leading international hub for development of industrial laser applications and technology transfer. Fiber laser technology is an exciting new development for precision manufacturing and will be of particular relevance to the many medical device companies which regularly interact with the NCLA. The system now in place at NCLA combines an SPI Lasers 200W fiber laser with a Rofin micromachining station and will be used for microwelding and micromachining of medical grade metals- for example coils, wires and stents. Since the system was commissioned in early June, it has already been used on projects for Crospon, Aerogen and Boston Scientific in Galway, Carten Controls in Waterford and Shannon Microcoils in Clare.

At the official handover of the new Starfiber200 Laser System are (L to R):
Louise Partridge, Sales Manager, SPI Lasers,
Jonathan Magee, Sales Manager Ireland for Rofin-Baasel Lasers and
Alan Conneely, Manager NCLA.

NCLA is part of lightFORUM

LightFORUM is the industrial outreach activity of LightHouse. This branch of LighHOUSE provides a framework in which technology transfer and industry outreach are fostered and opportunities for collaboration between industries and NUI,Galway are created. It is driven by the newly formed Centre for Applied Photonics at NUI,Galway. This Centre brings together the expertise and resources of both the Applied Optics and NCLA research groups.

More information about light FORUM is available on the lightHOUSE website.

POWERLASE & the NCLA
announce Research Collaboration into
Laser Materials Processing

POWERLASE will work with the NCLA to deliver the benefits of laser technology to the Irish manufacturing industry by developing new techniques for materials processing.

Crawley, UK, 11th January 2008 – POWERLASE Ltd, manufacturers of the world’s most powerful nanosecond Q-switched, diode-pumped solid state (DPSS) lasers, is pleased to announce a research partnership with the National University of Ireland (NUI). As part of this agreement, POWERLASE will work with leading academics from the National Centre for Laser Applications (NCLA) to develop novel techniques for laser materials processing.

The NCLA was founded in Galway in the West of Ireland in 1989 and champions the use of lasers in Irish manufacturing industry. The Centre works with companies in a wide range of sectors including medical devices, electronics, precision engineering and aerospace. POWERLASE is partnering with the NCLA to improve wider industry understanding of techniques in materials processing.

This agreement is the latest in a series of global research initiatives from POWERLASE as it aims to take advantage of its world leading laser technology by working with the world’s finest research institutes.

POWERLASE’s successful research collaborations include groundbreaking work in EUV Lithography at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and University College Dublin (UCD), and the study of thin film patterning for Flat Panel Display (FPD) manufacture at Osaka University.

Matt Henry, Head of Applications Engineering at POWERLASE comments:
“The NCLA is a renowned centre of excellence in laser technology. Its commitment to providing real-world industrial solutions for the Irish manufacturing industry is well-documented. Our innovative development work with leading academic institutes such as the NUI ensures that we continue to stay at the forefront of research in the laser industry. Ultimately, it is helping provide our customers with innovative techniques which will meet their needs, both now and in the future.”

Alan Conneely, from the NCLA, comments:
“ The importance of a strong R&D base to Irish manufacturing industry has never been more critical. NCLA continues to help Irish industry to innovate new products and processes using laser technology. This partnership with POWERLASE ackowledges the considerable reputation NCLA has established within the manufacturing community and underpins our ongoing efforts to bring the benefits of laser-based manufacturing to as wide an industrial base as possible”

About POWERLASE

POWERLASE Limited is an innovative, independent, high power Laser Company, focused on Diode Pumped Solid State (DPSS) lasers developed for industrial applications primarily for use in the materials processing and microelectronics markets for flat panel displays, microelectronics, automotive and aerospace sectors.

POWERLASE is supported by venture capital from MTI Partners, Deutsche Venture Capital, DJF Esprit LLP, Alice Ventures and FNI Venture Capital.

POWERLASE Limited is ranked as the third fastest growing venture capital-backed company in the UK in the Daily Telegraph 2007 Business Growth Rankings and 21st fastest growing private technology company in the UK by The Sunday Times Tech Track 100 Rankings.

POWERLASE recently won the Manufacturer of the Year for 2007 at the Elektra Awards and The Manufacturer Award for Best Design and Innovation 2007 for the company’s work in the development of laser systems for the manufacture of Flat-Panel Displays and the .

For further information, please contact:

Simon Hilliard, Katie Judge or Blaise Hammond at Racepoint UK (formally Fuse PR)

Tel: +44 (0) 208 752 3217 / 211

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