How can laser processing equipment meet customer customization needs?
China’s manufacturing industry has begun to transform and upgrade, moving towards the trend of high-end intelligent manufacturing. What new requirements have been put forward for laser technology due to changes in the application side? What new challenges are faced by laser solution development?
Maurizio Gattiglio: Obviously, China’s manufacturing industry is growing very fast, and more and more Chinese companies are moving towards Industry 4.0, and of course we are too. In order to meet the requirements of Industry 4.0, laser manufacturers should not only update laser technology, but also make breakthroughs in sensors and remote control technology, so that our lasers can be more reliable, stable and intelligent.
In terms of laser applications, more and more customization requirements will bring us many challenges. In the future, we hope to achieve the goal of interconnecting lasers with the Internet and the cloud, so that customers can define their own laser application solutions through the network.
Please introduce the new products your company will focus on exhibiting at the Munich Shanghai Optical Fair. What are the main specifications, features and application areas?Maurizio Gattiglio: All our innovative R&D efforts are focused on fiber laser technology, and we have successfully developed and manufactured lasers ranging from 1kw to 6kw. This year at the Shanghai Optical Expo in Munich, we demonstrated the innovative laser CT6000 dual-energy laser. CT6000 is an innovative laser based on patented technology jointly developed by us and Comau. Comau is a global company that provides industrial automation systems and comprehensive maintenance services for many industries, especially in the automotive industry, specializing in welding robots.
This high-power dual-energy laser integrates a water-cooling system. “Dual-energy” means that it contains two laser technologies and can be used in multiple laser industry fields. It is equipped with two different processing output fibers, one is high power and low brightness, dedicated to welding/brazing (BPP=66mm*mrad), and the other is relatively low power but higher brightness(BPP=3.2mm* mrad), dedicated to cutting/remote welding.
Switching between the two laser generators is possible with just one click, enabling:
- Maximum flexibility, the same laser generator can be used for almost all technical applications
- Wider application span (cutting, laser welding, brazing, sputtering)
- Occupy lower customer cost
It is the optimal choice from low to mid-capacity capacity and can switch between different jobs
Switching between the two configuration functions requires no recalibration or adjustment, and only takes a few seconds. The laser generator will independently monitor the safety of the two fiber optic cables and allow one to be disconnected or its working unit to pass to the variable unit while the other is processing the output fiber. Based on Convergent Photonics’ many years of experience in the high-power laser industry, this new CT series laser has cutting-edge backlight reflection protection technology, which enables the coupled reflected light to be stripped off through fiber mode stripping technology, which can safely be used at several key points of the laser. where we dissipate unwanted light.
What new products is your company developing? What are the target markets for these products?
Maurizio Gattiglio: ConvergentPhotonics is now focusing on increasing the fiber laser power to 8KW, and we have launched a 1kw compact fiber laser, which can be used for cutting, welding and additive manufacturing. At the same time, we have switched from in-house supply to third-party markets, with the goal of offering a range of more flexible products to our customers, who can choose to purchase fully functional and independent turnkey lasers, or they can choose to purchase our Modules/kits, etc., so as to meet the needs of customers’ customized packaging solutions.
We are now focusing primarily on the laser cutting, welding and additive manufacturing markets. Another key point is the R&D technical capability of ConvergentPhotonics. Our R&D capability can fully meet the needs of customers for customized special laser equipment technical solutions, so if customers have such needs, they can come to us.
What are your thoughts on mergers and acquisitions in the laser industry? Has your company considered this recently?
Maurizio Gattiglio: We are part of an international group, which is why we have no plans to grow through acquisitions. The goal of Convergent Photonics is to grow its local business through localized production, especially in regions with high growth potential such as China and the Far East. This is why we have plans to invest and open new companies in China in the future.
