Photonics News No 91
Photonics News Magazine - Issue 91
Editorial
#PN91
Editorial
Dear Reader,
The die has been cast, at least in terms of the outcome of the parliamentary elections. Our company can live well with all the coalition options now conceivable, and we hope that the fresh wind of the (pre )exploratory talks will lead to the creation of a stable government.
There are currently too many major projects, such as the restructuring of industry towards CO2 neutrality, sluggish digitization, the education system, and corporate tax reform that will allow us to continue to operate competitively on the global market.
The hope here is that binding and ambitious targets can be agreed upon quickly and that constructive compromises can be made on the question of how these targets are to be achieved. Industry needs reliability and planning security for its investments.
LASER COMPONENTS has always been a company that is willing to invest. We have written a great deal on this topic in past issues, and we will go into greater depth in the coming issues about the technologies that are now available and the opportunities they offer our customers.
In addition to technology, the ongoing modernization and optimization of our organizational structure and business processes is also an important area of investment for us. We will be celebrating our 40th anniversary next year and now employ over 250 people at the seven LASER COMPONENTS locations worldwide. This number has more than doubled in the past 10 years. The year 2021 is not yet over, but we have already broken all the records set in the past. In terms of sales, we will be able to record an increase of around 25% in the current year, and in terms of bookings we will probably see an increase of over 50%.
In order to be able to support all our sites in this growth in the best possible way, we decided some time ago to establish a holding structure. The parent company, which will henceforth operate under the name Photona GmbH, will support its subsidiaries by providing internal services in the areas of quality management, efficiency, financing, controlling, digitalization, and IT solutions. In keeping with the spirit of a family business, the areas of culture, image, and corporate values are also anchored in the holding company and are binding for all subsidiaries. In addition, the holding company sets the common goals and the coordinated strategic direction. The team will soon be expanded to include new business development and new technologies.
With this new structure, we retain the flexibility typical of medium-sized companies and at the same time utilize centrally available expertise that is normally only found in companies that are significantly larger than us.
Yours,
Patrick Paul
Managing Director, Laser Components Germany GmbH
With the Power of the Sun
Beyond Borders
Electricity prices are rising, and environmental awareness is increasing. Many consumers are looking to gain more independence from the big energy suppliers – with renewable energy sources, of course. Upon closer look, setting up a wind turbine in the backyard or a private biomass power plant is an unrealistic endeavor. That leaves solar energy. The federal and state governments are promoting this initiative. At the same time, research and technology are working on more efficient and cost-effective ways to harness the power of the sun. Laser technology plays a decisive role in implementation. Will we soon be able to turn our houses into small solar power plants without having to cover them with “ugly” mirror surfaces?
How Pure Is Our Water?
Beyond Borders
When it comes to water hygiene, we tend to think of developed countries with safe water distribution systems and poor, third world countries where lots of people do not have access to drinking water. In the highly developed industrial countries of “the West”, we take it for granted that we can drink tap water without considering any health issues. It is true that authorities have set up high standards for water quality. Municipalities and water suppliers go to great lengths to make sure these standards are met. So why are there still drinking water-related infections in highly developed countries such as Europe, Britain, or the U.S.? And are there ways to increase tap water quality?
Data – Express Delivery Free of Charge
Beyond Borders
Since the beginning of digitization at the end of the 20th century, the development of networks has been dominated by one topic: bandwidth. Where once telephone, data, and moving images were transmitted across different paths, triple play has now become widely accepted: The conversion of all landline connections to internet telephony is almost complete in Germany. The digital versions of terrestrial TV and cable TV are still in operation but are becoming less and less significant. Services are migrating toward an all-encompassing network. Streaming, VR gaming, and SmartHome applications are further fueling the hunger for bandwidth. Above all, they show that even private households are now retrieving data volumes that were reserved for companies not that long ago. Only one material is currently capable of providing the necessary bandwidth: fiber optics. But why is that?
“It Is Useful to First See the Spark Before the Fire” – Japanese proverb
Beyond Borders
Residential fires are among the most feared dangers of everyday life. Luckily, we can take precautions: in many countries, homeowners are required to cover financial risks with fire insurance and experts recommend having a fire extinguisher ready at hand. Most of these measures only deal with the most obvious feature of a fire, though: the flames. For a long time, the most dangerous aspect went unnoticed. Most of the fire-related deaths are caused by smoke. It was not until about a decade ago that authorities in many countries took this into account and made smoke detectors mandatory for all homes.
New Products
Beyond Borders
LASER COMPONENTS Germany - Your competent partner for optical and optoelectronic components in Germany.
Welcome to LASER COMPONENTS Germany GmbH, your expert for photonics components. Each product in our wide range of detectors, laser diodes, laser modules, optics, fiber optics, and more is worth every Euro (€/EUR). Our customized solutions cover all conceivable areas of application: from sensor technology to medical technology. You can reach us here:
Werner-von-Siemens-Str. 15
82140 Olching
Deutschland
Phone: +49 8142 2864-0
Email: info(at)
