Photonics News No 63
Photonics News Magazine - Issue 63
Editorial
PN #63
Dear Colleagues
This 63rd edition of Photonics News features the information age with particular focus on data communication over networks and datacentres, connecting intelligent sensors to robots to reduce the reliance on direct human intervention. Such anticipated growth in this demanding technology requires standards to be created and systems of practice devised. We present an interesting insight and suggest how some of our partner suppliers’ and LASER COMPONENTS’ products can support this growth industry.
The demand to squeeze more data at ever increasing speeds around the world, and off-world with orbiting satellites, is considerably challenging. This places more and more demand on the infrastructure, components and devices, as well as on diagnostic tools which must increasingly operate in real-time at sub-millisecond speeds to interpret faults and intervene with corrective actions to prevent otherwise mayhem in areas affected, such as banking, automotive flow and medical procedures to name a few.
It remains fascinating that so much of our daily lives involve the use of light, even photons when thinking of quantum applications so very much a buzz at the moment. Measuring micro-gravity using lasers shining on cold atoms hopes to provide a whole new range of sensors and imaging systems.
Light is being used in an increasingly greater number of applications, not just with sensors themselves but the data they generate often to be gathered and interpreted at some distant location. We may still be a long way off from light’s limiting constant - the speed of light - but it feels like an exponential explosion, and we are delighted to be part of this growth supplying components and products to our photonic industry.
Yours,
Chris Varney
Managing Director, Laser Components (UK), Ltd.
Industry 4.0
Beyond Borders
Even today, most people associate the “industrial revolution” with steam engines and smoking chimneys. Of course, we also know that production processes have changed significantly since then because progress cannot be slowed down. For a few years now there has been a new specter in the media: “Industry 4.0.” Everyone has heard of it before, and everyone has their own ideas about what’s behind it.
Laser Material Processing
Complex Structures with Additive Manufacturing
In the last decade, additive manufacturing has evolved from a laboratory tool to prototype production to a process that is also interesting for series production – just in time to help shape Industry 4.0. The decisive plus points include flexibility in the production process and the opening of new manufacturing possibilities with respect to geometry and/or material properties. Unlike casting or most ablative processes, additive methods allow the same machine to produce a wide variety of products without having to replace a single tool. The template that was transferred as a CAD file is all that matters. Complex geometric shapes can also be implemented in a short time.
New Products
Beyond Borders
LASER COMPONENTS UK - Your competent partner for optical and optoelectronic components in the United Kingdom.
Welcome to LASER COMPONENTS UK Ltd., 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 Pound (£/GBP). Our customized solutions cover all conceivable areas of application: from sensor technology to medical technology. You can reach us here:
Goldlay House, 114 Parkway
Chelmsford Essex CM2 7PR
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 1245 491 499
Email: info(at)
