The 19th Century readers of H.G Wells’ “War of the Worlds” would have perhaps been blown away by the prospect of the mighty Heat Ray of the aliens tearing through cities, emitting invisible beams which incinerated everything in its path. Although the human race – for the time being at least – remains spared from extraterrestrial invasion, Wells did, in fact, foreshadow the coming of a technology which has revolutionized modern society.
The “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation”, otherwise known as “laser”, was first seen at the start of the sixties, but its power wasn’t fully harnessed until later that decade.
Making an Indelible Mark
In 1969, the year of the moon landing, laser technology also took a giant leap when Gary Starkweather developed the first laser printer, bringing this newly harnessed technology into the home. By that time, however, many other industries had already invested great interest in exploring its potential. Western Electric had already begun implementing lasers in their manufacturing processes.
Skip forward to today, where lasers are common-place, and far more refined. Advanced equipment is available, and not just for large industries. Compact laser marking and engraving systems, like those from Needham Laser, in addition to cutting machines are indispensable for many businesses that work with metals, plastics, wood, electronics and jewelry which require the utmost precision.
For manufacturers of Industrial parts such as pipes, fittings, pump casings, and motor parts it’s essential to ensure each part is marked and tracked for good traceability. For a woodworker, the laser’s settings could be calibrated to allow for different depths and contrast to be created, even on paper-thin wood sheets.
At the Cutting Edge of Science
Last year’s Nobel Prize for Physics was in fact shared by three individuals with two different groundbreaking innovations in the field of photonics the invention optical tweezers, and the method of generating high-intensity, ultra-short optical pulses.
Alongside the engineering of medical equipment and machinery, optical tweezers are a great example of laser technology being used in biology. They allow the movement of micron-sized particles by means of a focused beam and are already being used widely to further research into DNA, proteins and enzymes.
Fusing & the Future
The shipbuilding industry continues to increase its efficiency with the use of lasers in their welding processes, where precision and strength are imperative. Some laser cutting machines used by these industries contain a water-jet system which guides the laser whilst cooling and cleaning the debris from the point of impact. This can allow for great precision and less thermal damage.
Lasers will only continue to light up our future as the second generation of laser headlights for cars already comes standard with some models, dramatically increasing visibility compared to that of its LED counterpart.
Metals are now also beginning to be recovered using laser technology from unwanted electronics with “laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy” (LIBS) which is a becoming increasingly more important as raw materials are becoming harder to come by.
