Installed as the 2007 president of LIAduring ICALEO in October, WilliamShiner is the vice president of industrial

products for IPG Photonics in Oxford, Mass.IPG is a manufacturer of fiber lasers and fiberamplifiers sold to the telecomm, industrial,medical, scientific and government market sec-tors. Shiner, with an area of expertise in sales,marketing and applications, has an extensivebackground in laser technology and industrialapplications of lasers and has written and pre-sented numerous papers at a wide range oftechnical conferences.

Shiner received his EE and MBA fromNortheastern University and began his lasercareer at American Optical in 1962, eventuallypurchasing the AO laser group and co-found-ing Laser, Inc. in 1973. Laser, Inc. was sold to

Coherent in 1979 and Mr. Shiner became thevice president of sales and marketing for theCoherent Industrial Group. He remained in thatposition when Coherent sold the industrialdivision to Transtec with the name beingchanged to Convergent Energy. ConvergentEnergy was sold to Prima Industries and Shinerbecame COO until his departure in 2001.

Shiner has been involved with LIA almostsince its inception. “The LIA has providedexcellent networking benefiting me both on abusiness and personal level,” he said.

The Year AheadDuring his year in office, Shiner hopes to

assist the LIA staff in making the ALAW showa success and to increase LIA’s corporate and

January/February 2007

LIA TODAYLIA TODAYThe Official Newsletter of the Laser Institute of AmericaThe professional society dedicated to fostering lasers, laser applications, and laser safety worldwide.

13501 Ingenuity Drive, Suite 128; Orlando, FL 32826 Phone: 407.380.1553 Fax: 407.380.5588http://www.laserinstitute.org

Volume 15, Number 1

Yale Launches CenterYale University has

established the Yale Institutefor Nanoscience andQuantum Engineering, whichit says will unite its six exist-ing research efforts in molec-ular electronics, quantuminformation processing,chemistry of soft materials,nanoparticles, photonics, andnanoscale biomedical engi-neering, reported the Nov.16, 2006 issue of Optics.org.The initiative is a part ofYale's commitment of over$1 billion to research infra-structure and science andengineering programs.

New research programsthat link current programswill focus on biomaterials andbioengineering, nanoparticlesand quantum dots, nanoelec-tronics and photonics, andquantum information process-ing. The institute will providea new mechanism for inter-disciplinary faculty hiring andinteraction while building oncollaborations in engineering,physics, and chemistry. Sixtyfaculty members from 10departments will form the ini-

IInnTThhee NNeewwss......

Meet LIA’s 2007 President & Board

(Cont. on pg.17, see In The News…) (Cont. on pg. 8 see BOARD)

Laser dentistry is primarily performedin private practice settings.Dentists and dental hygienists use

lasers for up to 24 specific problems, such asablation of enamel, dentin, and bone and gumsurgery. Most dental lasers are operated in den-tal operatories in private practices and are usedone to five times a day.

The educational standards within the dentalprofession have been developed and endorsedworldwide. These standards include the imple-mentation of ANSI Z136.3 Safe Use of Lasersin Health Care Facilities in the dental treatmentenvironment. Dentists and hygienists areencouraged to follow the recommendations oforganized laser dentistry that advises specific

training and certification before using lasers onpatients. This educational standard is defined inthe Curriculum Guidelines and Standards forDental Laser Education which is implementedby the Academy of Laser Dentistry (ALD).

To assure safe and efficacious use of lasersfor the health and welfare of the patients treat-ed, the ALD manages a certification program toassure competency in safe laser use.Introductory courses offer general informationbut do not assess the proficiency of theattendee. Standard proficiency courses offer alevel of education including instruction withhands-on exercises and clinical simulation pro-ficiency examination. This is the course thatmust be satisfactorily completed before inde-

(Cont. on pg. 6, see Dentistry)

Everyday Laser Safety in Dentistryby Gail S. Siminovsky and Joel M. White

Editor-in-Chief..................Peter Baker

Managing Editor...................Kris Stell

Contributing Editor ..............Jack Dyer

Copy Editor ..................Barbara Sams

Copy Editor......................Anja Selnau

Editorial Staff

LIA TODAYLIA TODAY

January/February 2007 2

Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the professionalsociety dedicated to fostering lasers, laser applications and

laser safety worldwide. LIA is the secretariat and publisher ofthe ANSI Z136 series of laser safety standards, and is a leadingprovider of laser safety education.

LIA offers educational programs, conferences and sym-posia on the applications of lasers and electro-optics. LIA’sannual International Congress on Applications of Lasers &Electro-Optics (ICALEO®) features the world’s foremost meet-ing on laser materials processing. The biennial InternationalLaser Safety Conference (ILSC®) covers all aspects of lasersafety practice and hazard control.

If you would like more information about the LIA, call407.380.1553, 1.800.34.LASER or visit our home on the Web:www.laserinstitute.org.

LIA TODAYLIA TODAYThe Official Newsletter of the Laser Institute of America

LIA TODAY is published bimonthly and strives to educateand inform laser professionals on laser safety and new trendsrelated to laser technology. LIA members receive a free sub-scription to LIA TODAY and the Journal of Laser Applications®,in addition to discounts on all LIA products and services.

The editors of LIA TODAY welcome input from their readers.Please submit news-related releases, articles of general interest andletters to the editor. Mail us at LIA TODAY, 13501 Ingenuity Drive,Suite 128, Orlando, FL 32826, fax 407.380.5588, or send materialby e-mail to lia@laserinstitute.org.

If you are interested in affordable advertising space in thisnewsletter or a subscription, please contact Jim Naugle at407.380.1553 or 1.800.34.LASER.

Volume 15, Number 1 January/February 2007

IN THIS ISSUE...

Features

Depar tmentsIn The News..............................1Calendar of Events....................2President’s Message..................5Executive Director’s Msg.........5JLA Update ............................13Corporate Profile – WilsonIndustries ................................16Letter to the Editor..................19Welcome New Members........20Chapter Corner........................21ASC Z136 Update ..................19 Test Yourself............................22LIA Announces ......................23

For a complete list of LIA corporate members, visit our corporate directory online at www.laserinstitute.org.

Adver tisersALAW ....................................18Academy of Laser Dentistry..13American Laser Enterprises ..17ILSC ........................................24Kentek........................................4LIA Laser Safety Podcasts ....21Laser Focus World..................20Laser SOS................................22LASERVISION USA ............10Lee Laser ................................23Photonics Spectra ....................7Wilson Industries ......................3

President – William Shiner, IPG Photonics Corporation

President-Elect – Andreas Ostendorf,Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V.

Past-President – Joseph O’Brien, LASERVISION USA

Secretary – Nathaniel Quick,AppliCote Associates, LLC

Treasurer – Stephen Capp, Laserage Technology Corporation

2007 LIA Officers

LIA’s Calendar of EventsFor more information contact LIA at 1.800.34.LASER

or visit www.laserinstitute.org

Laser Safety Officer TrainingMay 7-9, 2007 • Indianapolis, INJuly 16-18, 2007 • Raleigh, NC

Aug. 6-8, 2007 • Albuquerque, NMOct. 29-31, 2007 • Orlando, FL Dec. 3-5, 2007 • Miami, FL

Laser Safety Officer with Hazard AnalysisMar. 26-30, 2007 • San Diego, CAJune 4-8, 2007 • Baltimore, MD

Sept. 17-21, 2007 • San Francisco, CAILSC® 2007

Mar. 19-22 • San Francisco, CA

Medical Laser Safety Officer TrainingFeb. 23-24, 2007 • Orlando, FLMay 18-19, 2007 • Atlanta, GA

Sept. 21-22, 2007 • San Francisco, CANov. 9-10, 2007 • Raleigh, NC

Advanced Concepts in Laser Safety Sept. 24-26 • Silver Springs, MD

ALAWApr. 17-19, 2007 • Plymouth, MI

ICALEO® 2007Oct. 29-Nov. 1 • Orlando, FL

Everyday Laser Safety inDentistry ....................................1Meet LIA’s 2007 President and Board ................................1Laser Safety in the DermatologySection ....................................12LIA Launches New OnlineCareer Center ..........................13Novel Ideas from ICALEO....14Time for ILSC ........................15Get It All At ALAW ..............18

Advertising Sales ..............Jim Naugle....................................Kim Powledge

Business Staff

LIA TODAY

January/February 20073

One of my prime objectives dur-ing my term of office is to workwith Peter Baker and the LIA

staff to increase the corporate and individ-ual membership of LIA. When one ques-tions the benefits of membership in theLIA, I pose the question, “What if therewere no LIA?” The LIA is and always hasbeen the cement that bonds the worldwidelaser community together. The variousevents provide attendees an opportunity tolearn, to educate, and to network with theworldwide laser community. Last year, forexample, there were over 200 papers pre-sented at ICALEO by students andresearchers. These papers were all submit-ted in response to the call for papers and formany are the only outlet for publication.

With corporate travel restrictions com-monplace, in many cases only senior man-agers are allowed to attend the variousevents. In response, the LIA has instituted aprogram of regional chapters to bring manyof the benefits of membership, and in par-ticular the networking opportunities, to the

local level. As co-chairman of the Northeast

Chapter, I have seen the results firsthand.We have held five meetings with an averageattendance of 60 members, we have attract-ed new members, and most important weare attracting younger members so impor-tant to the future of the LIA and the laserindustry. At our December meeting, it wasenjoyable to watch three LIA past presi-dents, students studying lasers from threedifferent colleges, educators, laser users,and LIA corporate members interacting dur-ing the social hour and dinner.

I encourage each of you to help us inour efforts to attract new members and toexpand our regional chapters. The strengthof any organization is its ability to continu-ally attract new members.

The beginning of the New Year,2007, brings LIA some newlyelected officers and board

members who are profiled starting on thefront page.

For me, it is a chance to thank outgo-ing President (now Past President) JoeO’Brien for his fine leadership during2006. Joe’s thoughtful, laidback stylehelped keep things on an even keel in2006 and his legal background and deal-making skills were a big factor in our suc-cessful purchase of a 50% stake (with ourpartners FMA) in ALAW. Thanks Joe.

Our new President Bill Shiner is alongtime member and faithful friend ofLIA. He has served on the board since theearly 1970’s and has been an enthusiasticsupporter of our society and sponsor ofour conferences and regional meetings.

Bill has a particular interest in mem-bership and was the leader in creating ourregional meetings and chapters, particular-ly the very successful Northeast Chapter.In addition, his knowledge and connec-tions in the automotive industry will be abig help in guiding the growth of ALAW.

So, on behalf of the members andstaff, I welcome Bill – er, Mr. President.We look forward to working with you thisyear.

pbaker@laserinstitute.org

LIA TODAY

January/February 20075

LIA Executive Director Peter Baker

Executive Director’s Message

President’s Message

LIA President Bill Shiner

pendently using lasers. This isthe level of education that hasbeen defined as the standardof care.

Advanced proficiency rep-resents advanced knowledgeand clinical experience withthe dental laser and is admin-istered only by the ALD at itsannual meeting. The educatorcourse is the fourth level ofeducation on lasers in den-tistry. This course providesspecific instruction in plan-ning and presenting the stan-dard proficiency course.

Standard Proficiency in Dentistry

What do you need to knowand demonstrate to be a safebeginner?

The standard proficiencycourse includes lecture andhands on instruction of at least12 hours, a 75-question exam,and most importantly a clini-cal simulation proficiencyexamination. Clinicians andauxiliaries must demonstrateproper safe use by clinicalsimulation with appropriateoral tissues (e.g. cow or pigjaws).

Dentists looking for train-ing can find courses and studymaterials that are readily

available. A list of helpfullinks follows at the end of thisarticle. Through ALD, contin-uing education courses at thestandard proficiency level areevaluated and must meet spe-cific criteria to be a recog-nized through the StandardProficiency Course ProviderRecognition program. At theconclusion of the standardproficiency course, partici-pants take the clinical simula-tion proficiency examination.They can then obtain certifica-tion by taking the online stan-dard proficiency writtenexamination and joining theALD.

Clinical Proficiency forDental Lasers

The clinical simulationproficiency examination teststhree areas: 1) Knowledge ofthe device and overall safety,2) Infection control, generalset up and tear down, andlaser operating parameters,and 3) Patient management.Each area has specific criteriafor assessment.

1. Knowledge of thedevice and overall safety.

Each dental office or facil-ity must have a designatedlaser safety officer (LSO).

This LSO’s only training maybe the successful completionof a dental standard proficien-cy course. The LSO officer istypically the user, the dentist,and dental hygienist, but mayalso be the dental auxiliary.The laser officer is the personresponsible for overall lasersafety within the dental prac-tice. In dentistry, we call theLSO the “keeper of the key”.The LSO supervises propersafe use of lasers and coordi-nates staff education and train-ing, and the LSO also over-sees personal protective wear(like appropriate eyewear) andknows the country regulations,including any specific stateregulations.

During the exam, the par-ticipant needs to identify on aspecific laser up to eight lasersafety mechanisms like theon/off switch, guardedfootswitch, emergency stopdiagnostic software, systemtime-out, and fiber detectors.The examinee also needs toidentify the necessary safetyaspects of the environment,like identification of the con-trolled area, proper posting ofsigns outside the nominal haz-ard zone, limited access andminimization of reflective sur-faces. The exam includes dis-cussion of minimizing accessand traffic through the nomi-nal hazard zone. General anes-thesia and intubation are notcommon in laser dentistry, butnitrous oxide and oxygen usewith lasers are common pro-vided there is proper evacua-tion. Examinees then must

identify proper protective eye-wear specific for the wave-length laser being used withproper side shields that areworn by the dentist, patient,and staff within the nominalhazard zone. The last itemassessed in this portion of theexam is the description of theFood and Drug Administrationadverse effects reportingmechanism.

2. Infection control, gen-eral set up procedures, oper-ating parameters.

The laser device set up andoperation are tested in thisportion of the examination.The clinician actually sets upthe laser, assembles the deliv-ery system, typically a fiberand hand piece and tips. Theexaminee test fires the laserand then chooses low and highsettings for two separate den-tal procedures. For instance, aclinician using an Nd:YAGfiber optic laser would choose1.5W and 15Hz for the start ofa soft tissue excision and ahigh would be 3.5W 20Hz.The examinee then describesproper infection control withhigh volume evacuation, thedescription of contaminatedand uncontaminated zones.The examinee also needs todescribe proper cleaning andsterilization procedures.

3. Patient management.In this section of the exam-

ination, the clinician discussesthe specific indication for useof the device by providing atreatment proposal. The dentallaser is then used to demon-strate specific treatment objec-

LIA TODAY

January/February 2007 6

Dentistry , cont. from pg. 1

Dr. Deruyter demonstrates safe laser use with exam-iners Dr. Schilman and Dr. van As.

Standard Proficiency Dental Laser Certification

March 28-29, 2007Source 2007: Lasers in Dentistry, March 28-31, 2007ALD’s 14th Annual Conference and ExhibitionGaylord Opryland Resort, Nashville, TN

For information visit www.source2007.org or call ALD 1-844-527-3776.

tives. For instance, if the clini-cian is using an ErCr:YSGG orEr:YAG laser for hard tissue,the clinician would do a simplecavity preparation. The surgi-cal technique is achieved onthe teeth in a hog jaw with theclinician ablating the enameland dentin. In order for theclinician to be successful, theyneed to assure proper operatingparameters of power, repetitionrate, energy density, andair/water spray to removeenamel and dentin. The clini-cian simulates the procedureon the hog jaw and describesthe needed proper patient man-agement and management ofcomplications. Lastly, adescription of the surgical andhealing assessment methodsand interval for the demon-strated procedure, on a scale ofexcellent, good, fair, and poormust be described.

TheStandardProficiencyCertifica-tion courseprovidesthe stan-dard forwhat isexpectedfor lasersafety indentistryfor every-day laseruse. Thehands onclinicalsimulationproficiencyexamina-tion is theway in which safe laser use isassessed. Dentists and dentalhygienists who use lasers areexpected to complete the stan-

dard proficiency certificationas the standard of care in den-tistry.

Gail S. Siminovsky, CAE,

is the executive director of theAcademy of Laser Dentistry,and Joel M. White, DDS, MS,is a professor at the Universityof California, San Francisco.

LIA TODAY

January/February 20077

Helpful LinksRegister for an Online Course or Examinationhttp://www.laserdentistry.org/prof/edu_dentallasercourses.cfm#onlineCertification in Laser Dentistryhttp://www.laserdentistry.org/prof/edu_certprog_geninfo.cfmStandard Proficiency Recognized Course Providershttp://www.laserdentistry.org/prof/edu_cert_courseprov.cfmDental Laser Courseshttp://www.laserdentistry.org/prof/edu_dentallasercourses.cfm#resource. Suggested Resourceshttp://www.laserdentistry.org/prof/edu_publications_resources.cfm#readingsvideoCurriculum Guidelines and Standards for Dental Laser Educationhttp://www.laserdentistry.org/prof/edu_curriculumguidelines.cfmLaser Institute of AmericaANSI Z136.3 – Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care Facilitieshttp://www.laserinstitute.org/store/ANSI/113

individual memberships.One of the ways to accom-

plish his membership goals is

to support the already existingLIA regional chapters as wellas establish more. “We havealready seen the impact of thechapters in both memberretention as well as attractingnew members.”

Additionally, Shiner gets toexperience something new thisyear, as it will be the first yearLIA hosts ALAW (AutomotiveLaser Applications Workshop).“This conference will enhanceour image as the leading orga-nization associated with mate-rial processing. It should alsoincrease our membership andattract the automotive cus-tomers to ICALEO later in theyear.”

Lastly, two new ANSI stan-dards are to be released thisyear, which are published byLIA, so a marketing flurry willtake place. “We have all beenawaiting these releases withanticipated improvements.”

We wish him a great year!

Meet the Officers 2007 • President Elect –

Andreas Ostendorf studiedelectrical engineering at theUniversity of Hannover,Germany. In 1995, he joinedthe Laser Zentrum Hannover(LZH) as a scientist dealing

with micro-machining usingUV and ultrafast lasers. In2000, he finished his Ph.D.After holding different officesat LZH, in 2001 he became itsCEO and a member of theboard of directors, which is hiscurrent position. As a scientist,he has been involved in manynational and internationalresearch programs and GermanCollaborative ResearchCenters. His scientific work isfocused on laser micro- andnano-structuring. In his currentposition, he has intensifiedinternational cooperationbetween the LZH and especial-ly American, Chinese andRussian scientific institutes.Ostendorf was the micro-fabri-cation conference chair ofICALEO® 2002, 2003, and2004, and in 2005 and 2006 hewas ICALEO general chair. He

is also a member of the WLTGerman Scientific LaserSociety, which cooperatesinternationally with LIA. Hejoined LIA’s board in 2004,and since 2005 he has alsobeen a member of LIA’s execu-tive committee, responsible forcoordination of conferences.

• Past President – JosephO’Brien is an entrepreneur andattorney in Minneapolis, Minn.He is the founder, president andCEO of Trinity Technologies, adeveloper and manufacturer oflaser protective technologies,which is now LASERVISION

USA. He has experience work-ing closely with laser profes-sionals in research, industry,

medicine, aerospace, telecom-munications, and the military.Prior to founding TrinityTechnologies, he helped estab-lish several early stage medicaltechnology companies. Heserved as LIA’s treasurer in2004 and is a founding memberof the Board of Laser Safety.

• Treasurer – StephenCapp has been CEO ofLaserage TechnologyCorporation since 1994. Hepreviously held positions asplant manager and vice presi-dent of operations. Laserage isan international supplier oflaser-processed materials. Hegraduated from MilwaukeeSchool of Engineering in 1978with degrees in electricalpower engineering technologyand industrial managementand has worked in the laserindustry for more than 25years. He has been a memberof the LIA since 1992.

• Secretary – Nathaniel R.Quick is the president andchief technical officer ofAppliCote Associates, LLC inSanford, Fla., a technologydevelopment company. Heholds a Ph.D. from CornellUniversity in materials scienceand engineering. He estab-lished AppliCote Associates todevelop laser-based technolo-gies that enable the next gener-ation of semiconductor chips

for communications and powercontrol. AppliCote Associatescollaborates with academicinstitutes, including theUniversity of Central Florida/CREOL. He currently holds 36U.S. patents and has over 55publications. He has served asLIA’s secretary for five yearsand is an LIA fellow.

Meet the New Directors –2007-2009

• Magdi Azer is currentlythe lab manager for the LaserProcessing Lab at GE GlobalResearch in Niskayuna, NY.He received his bachelor’sdegree in mechanical engi-neering from Kansas StateUniversity in 1982. He com-pleted his master’s and Ph.D.from the University of Illinoisin Urbana Champaign in 1989and 1996, respectively. In1995, he joined GE AircraftEngines, where he held severalpositions of increasing respon-sibility within the LaserApplications Group. In 2003,Azer moved to GE GlobalResearch, serving as project

LIA TODAY

January/February 2007 8

BOARD, cont. from pg. 1

Bill Shiner

Andreas Ostendorf

Joe O’Brien

Nat Quick

Stephen Capp

leader for laser applications. Inthis role, he has worked withGE’s research laboratory inShanghai, China to deliversolutions to customers in GEAviation, Lockheed-Martin,and NIST. He assumed hiscurrent role in 2005. Azer hasauthored or co-authored 23publications and holds sevenpatents related to laser-materi-als processing. He has servedas an author, a session chair-man, and a planning commit-tee member for several ICA-LEO conferences.

• Neil Ball is the presidentof Directed Light Inc, of SanJose, California. DirectedLight is a laser technologycompany serving the industri-al, medical, and scientific lasercommunities worldwide. Hebegan his career as an applica-tion technician in the jobshopmanufacturing sector atLaserFab, Inc. He joinedDirected Light in 1993 toassist in applications develop-ment, system design, and com-ponent/service support. In1998, he became general man-ager of the components and

jobshop divisions.Ball has led themarketing anddeveloping salesplans for bothnational and interna-tional arenas and isthe resident method-ologist, working onprojection of futureindustry trends.

• EckhardBeyer took over aprofessorship forsurface engineeringand thin film tech-nology, which wasrenamed professor-ship for laser andsurface engineering,at the University ofTechnology Dresdenand became execu-tive director of theFraunhofer Institutefor Material and BeamTechnology in Dresden in1997. Fraunhofer IWS offersapplication-oriented researchand development in the area oflaser and surface technology.Eckhard has been engaged in

the coordination and organiza-tion of several internationalconferences, such as ICALEO,LAMP, and LIM, chairing ses-sions at these conferences. Hehas acted as the vice-presidentof WLT – the GermanScientific Laser Society. He isauthor of approximately 300publications and owner ofabout 50 patents.

• Paul Denney has beeninvolved in the development

and implementation of lasermaterials processing for over25 years. Presently he is asenior research engineer at theConnecticut Center forAdvanced Technology, Inc. inEast Hartford, Conn., wherehe has the responsibility tomanage and develop activitiesin laser materials processing.Denney was previously headof the High Energy ProcessingDepartment at ARL PennState, a research engineer atthe Westinghouse ElectricResearch & DevelopmentCenter, a metallurgist at theNaval Research Laboratory,and a product metallurgist atC.F. & I Steel Corp. He hashis BS and MS from MIT. He

has been an LIA member since1984, is a fellow and memberof the board of directors, andhas been general and co-chairof ICALEO.

• Klaus Löffler graduatedfrom the University ofStuttgart with a master’s inmechanical engineering. Hisexpertise in lasers extendsfrom resonator design, excita-tion methods, beam delivery,sensor systems to laser material

processing. Beginning in 1991,he worked at Trumpf LaserTechnik in Ditzingen/Germany moving to Trumpf

LIA TODAY

January/February 20079

Magdi Azer

Neil Ball

Eckhard Beyer

2005-2007 • Heinrich Endert, NewportCorporation/Spectra-Physics • John Hoopman, Univ. of TexasSouthwestern Medical Center atDallas • Anthony Hoult, SPI Lasers • Robert Hull, General DynamicsInformation Technology • Klaus Kleine, LaserLine Inc. • William Lawson, New TechDevelopment • John Marshall, The RayneInstitute, St. Thomas Hospital • Etsuji Ohmura, Department ofManufacturing Science at OsakaUniversity• Dean Wilson, Wilson Industries,Inc. • Minlin Zhong, TsinghuaUniversity (2007)

2006-2008• Anthony Arquisch, LASAGIndustrial Lasers • Milan Brandt, SwinburneUniversity of Technology – IRIS • Ben Edwards, Duke UniversityMedical Center • Michael Green, Association ofIndustrial Laser Users • Bo Gu, GSI Group, Inc. • Aravinda Kar, College of Opticsand Photonics/University ofCentral Florida • William O’Neill, University ofCambridge • Wayne Penn, Alabama LaserSystems • Ronald Schaeffer,PhotoMachining, Inc. • Sheldon Zimmerman, NavalSurface Warfare Center

The following are currently serving terms on the LIA Board of Directors:

Paul Denney

Klaus Löffler

(Cont. on pg. 11)

LIA TODAY

January/February 200711

Inc. in Farmington, Conn. in1995. From 1996 to 2002, hestarted the Trumpf LaserTechnology Center inPlymouth, Mich. In his posi-tion as director, he was respon-sible for the organization of allproducts. Starting in 2006, hetook over the responsibility forinternational sales at TrumpfLasers and Systems where heis also responsible for productmanagement and marketing. In2004, he founded theAutomotive Laser Conferencein Wolfsburg/ Germany, whichtogether with ALAW andJALAW builds a global con-ference partnership.

• Hau Chung Manreceived his Ph.D. in lasermaterials processing fromImperial College of Science

and Technology, University ofLondon, in 1984. He hasworked for Control Laser, Ltd.(U.K.), Integrated LaserSystems, Ltd. (U.K.) and TheLaser Centre of TWI (U.K.).He returned to the academicsector in 1990 and is now aprofessor of the Hong KongPolytechnic University. Hefounded the only LaserMaterials Processing Centre inHong Kong in 1994 and hasbeen the leader of the laserprocessing group since. Hehas published more than 200journal and conference papers.He is a senior member of theLIA and has been a memberof the board of directors since2003.

• Rajesh (Raj) S. Patelhas accumulated 20 years ofexperience in the laser materi-al processing field. He is cur-rently a manager at SpectraPhysics and is responsible formanaging the laser processingapplications lab and new laser

product development projects.Prior to working at SpectraPhysics, he had his own con-sulting company and has alsoworked at IBM, Aradigm, andIMRA America. He receivedhis Ph.D. in mechanical engi-neering from the University ofIllinois at Urbana-Champaignin 1989. He is the author of 22U.S. patents related to laserprocessing, optics, and themask technology field, andhas published and presentedmore than 40 technical papers.He is a member of LIA andSPIE, has served on LIA’sexecutive committee for thelast three years, co-chairedLIA’s ICALEO 1997, 1998,1999, and 2002 conferences,and was conference chair ofICALEO 2004.

• Silke Pflüger has 20years of experience in indus-trial lasers and their applica-tions and is currently thedirector of sales NorthAmerica for SPI Lasers.Before joining SPI Lasers in2004, she held engineeringand marketing positions inSDL/JDSU working with highpower laser diodes and fiber

lasers. She started her careerin lasers at the FraunhoferInstitute for Laser Technologyin Aachen, Germany. This alsobrought her to the U.S. andthe Fraunhofer ResourceCenter in Michigan as a pro-ject manager, where she wasinvolved in establishing thenewly founded group as a cen-ter of excellence for lasertechnologies. Pflüger receiveda Ph.D. in mechanical engi-neering from the TechnicalUniversity in Aachen.

• Reinhart Poprawe, Prof.Dr., holds an M.A. in physicsfrom California StateUniversity in Fresno, whichhe received in 1977. In 1985,he joined the FraunhoferInstitute for Laser Technology

in Aachen as head of thedepartment for laser-orientedprocess development. From1989 to 1996, he was manag-ing director of Thyssen LaserTechnik GmbH in Aachen. InFebruary 1996, he becamemanaging director of the

Fraunhofer Institute for LaserTechnology and holds the uni-versity chair for laser technol-ogy at RWTH Aachen.Poprawe is a founding mem-ber of the company ACLASGmbH in Aachen. Since 2001,he has been a member of theLIA board and executiveboard member of theWissenschaftliche Gesell-schaft Lasertechnik (WLT).He has served as president ofWLT since 2003. In 2005,Poprawe became vice-rectorfor structure, research, andjunior academic staff of theRWTH Aachen.

• Y. Lawrence Yao is aprofessor and chair of thedepartment of mechanicalengineering at ColumbiaUniversity. He has been con-ducting research and develop-ment in the area of lasermaterials processing over 12years and his current interestsinclude laser micromachining,laser forming, laser cleaning,and laser shock peening. Hehas published over 90 techni-cal papers and holds threeU.S. patents. He has co-chaired the LMP conferenceat ICALEO® 2001 and chairedthe LMP conference at ICA-LEO® 2002. He has been amember of LIA since 1991, asenior member since 1999,and a fellow since 2004. Hereceived a Ph.D. from theUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison in 1988.

Reinhart Poprawe

Silke Pflüger

Y. Lawrence Yao

Raj Patel

H.C. Man

LIA TODAY

January/February 2007 12

Almost 11.5 millionsurgical and non-surgical cosmetic

procedures were performed in2005, many of them involvingthe use of lasers. For example,there were 1,566,909 laserhair removals and 432,606laser skin resurfacing proce-dures performed in 2005,according to the AmericanSociety for Aesthetic PlasticSurgery’s (ASAPS) 2005Statistics on CosmeticSurgery.

Laser hair removalinvolves using laser energy toquickly heat and damage ordestroy the hair follicle. Thisis accomplished with lasersused to generate photother-mal, photomechanical, orphotochemical destruction.Similarly, laser skin resurfac-ing is performed using laserenergy to vaporize the target-ed layers of skin to specificand controlled levels of pene-

tration. These increasinglypopular treatments create anincreased potential for healthrisk to those professionalsconducting laser assisted der-matologic procedures fromlaser generated airborne cont-aminants (LGACs).

Laser GeneratedAirborne Contaminants

Since laser assisted derma-tological procedures requirethe use of laser devices, this iswhere the potential for healthrisks begin. While eye injuriesare the most common type ofincident, they are by nomeans the only cause for con-cern; burns and other heat-related accidents bear equalattention. When a beam oflaser energy interacts with anorganic object, such as skin ora hair follicle, some of theorganic material vaporizes.This particulate matter, some-times in the form of an invisi-

ble haze, thenbecomes airborne.These LGACs areoften ignored as aminor irritant orinconvenience, but inreality they pose apotentially serioushealth risk for thepractitioner. According to KayBall, RN, MSA,CNOR, FAAN, a peri-operative consultant,past president ofAORN, and instructorfor the LIA, there arethree main concernsregarding LGACs: the

odor, the size of theparticulate matter,and the viability ofparticulates. Thesmell alone from thetoxic gases shouldgive one cause forcaution. Additional-ly, there are over600 potentially toxicgases and particulatematter released bythe interaction oflaser energy and organic sub-stances. Some of these includebenzene, formaldehyde,hydrogen cyanide,bioaerosols, dead and live cel-lular material and evenviruses1. Furthermore, 77% ofthese particles are less than1.1 microns in diameter, muchsmaller than the pores in stan-dard surgical masks. (Mihashi,S. et al: Some problems aboutcondensates induced by CO2laser irradiation, Karume,Japan, Department ofOtolaryngology and PublicHealth, 1975v, KarumeUniversity.)

To date there have been nodetailed studies on the cumu-lative affects of exposure tothe small amounts of LGACscreated during laser-assisteddermatological procedures.However, there are manyanecdotal reports from practi-tioners who get respiratoryinfections after repeated expo-sure to unfiltered organic andinorganic LGACs. For exam-ple, Ball relates the story ofhow a doctor who inhaled sur-gical smoke for many yearsdeveloped respiratory prob-

lems. When he was out of thatsurgical environment for anextended period of time, thesymptoms of this conditiondecreased in severity. Whenhe returned to the surgicalenvironment where the surgi-cal smoke was not beingevacuated, his symptomsreturned.

Simple SolutionsWe can mitigate the possi-

ble risks by taking some verysimple actions. For one thing,a filtered smoke evacuationsystem should be in place.General room ventilation willnot capture any contaminantsgenerated at the source androom suction, since it wasdesigned primarily for liquids,tends to pull at a much lowerrate than a smoke evacuatorsystem. (Note: Room suctionwith an in-line filter is ade-quate to evacuate smallamounts of surgical smoke.)Smoke evacuators have a vac-uum pump, hose(s), filter(s),and the inlet nozzle. Hence themore robust method of asmoke evacuator is recom-mended for larger amounts of

Laser Safety in the Dermatology Sectorby Stephen Lumbert

The potential for practitioners toinhale surgical smoke from laserprocedures is great.

Over 11 million procedures wereperformed in 2005 that involved alaser.

1DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-1282G. Champault, N. Taffinder, M. Ziol, H. Riskalla, J. M. C. Catheline, “Cells are present in the smoke createdduring laparoscopic surgery.” British Journal of Surgery Volume 84, no. Issue 7 (2005 (online)): 993 - 995.Image © Cockeyed.com 2004.

LIA TODAY

January/February 200713

surgical smoke. Should room suc-tion systems be used, it is essen-tial that they employ the appropri-ate in-line filters. Also, the steriletubing itself should be replacedwith each procedure. An in-linefilter is a must because you do notwant to have a build-up of conta-minants in your wall suction ortubing. Cleaning will not neces-sarily remove all of the organicmaterial2.

Inhalation of smoke is a docu-mented health risk in the industri-al sector, however the potentialrisks are not quite as obvious inthe realm of dermatology. Everyday brings the potential for practi-tioners to inhale surgical smokeor LGACs resulting from laserdermatological procedures.Because of this, we need toamend our belief systems. We aregenerally so concerned with the

well being of our patients andclients that we tend to forgetabout our own, or our fellowpractitioner’s safety.

Appropriate protection meth-ods and practices should beemployed at each and every turn.This should obviously includeproper maintenance and recordkeeping. Additionally, propertraining in medical laser safety isimperative for us to continue toapply and maintain the high stan-dards of competency our industryand reputation requires. The prac-tice of using lasers for hairremoval, tattoo eradication, andother cosmetic procedures willcontinue to evolve and grow, andas we grow with it, let’s take adeep breath and do it right.

Stephen Lumbert is a techni-cal writer for the LIA TODAY.

On Jan. 4, 2007, LIAlaunched its online job

board, the LIA Career Center. Withits focus on companies and profes-sionals in industrial, medical, andresearch applications of lasers andlaser safety, the LIA Career Centeroffers its members – and the indus-try at large – an easy-to-use andhighly targeted resource for onlineemployment connections.

“We’re very excited about LIA Career Center because we know howcritical it is for employers in the laser technology industry to attract first-rate talent with a minimum expenditure of time and resources,” said JimNaugle, marketing director for LIA. “And it’s important for us help enablesmooth career transitions for those seeking industry jobs.”

Both members and non-members can use LIA Career Center toreach qualified candidates. Employers can post jobs online, search forqualified candidates based on specific job criteria, and create an onlineresume agent to email qualified candidates daily. They also benefit fromonline reporting that provides job activity statistics.

For job seekers, LIA Career Center is a free service that providesaccess to employers and jobs in laser technology. In addition to postingtheir resumes, job seekers can browse and view available jobs based ontheir criteria and save those jobs for later review if they choose. Job seek-ers can also create a search agent to provide email notifications of jobsthat match their criteria. Visit www.laserinstitute.org for more information.

LIA Launches New Online Job Service

Journal of Laser Applications® Update

The Journal of Laser Applications® offers thelatest refereed papers by leading researchers in thelaser community. The February 2007 issue includespapers from materials processing, biomedical andsafety. Look for the online version at www.laserin-stitute.org/publications/jla/. To view the journalonline, please make sure your membership is cur-rent. Starting with the February 2007 issue, onlinefigures will be in color. In addition, articles willnow be posted online as the production cycle iscompleted ensuring timely publication. These arti-cles will be fully citable.

The JLA® is published four times a year bythe Laser Institute of America in February, May,August and November. It is sent to all LIA mem-bers as a member benefit. For nonmembers ofLIA, call the American Institute of Physics at1.800. 344.6902 for subscription information.

Sign up at http://scitation.aip. org/jla/alert.jspto receive your JLA table of content e-mail alerts.

LIA TODAY

January/February 2007 14

As in “A NovelApproach to theConsolidation of

Plastic Powders Using Com-puter Generated HolographicOptical Elements” by AdrianHaddock, John Tyrer, JamesKell, all of LoughboroughUniversity, U.K. at ICALEO2006.

LIA Today ContributingEditor Jack Dyer interviewedProfessor John Tyrer duringICALEO® 2006 in November2006 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

LIA Today: What’s novelhere? Producing hologramsgoes back to 1947.

John Tyrer:What we are

trying to do is really look atthe temperature distributionwe want in the material, thisdefines the metallurgy. So ifwe reverse things and startfrom the basis of the material,we can devise the requisitemetallurgy, both in terms ofthe physical and chemicalproperties, I am assuming ametal in the first instance.

Today with computer pre-dictive modeling, we can takea process, be it welding, adeposition, or a cuttingprocess, and we can have themetallurgy defined by thecomputer model. From that,we can determine a series oftime temperature plots thatdefine how we want the mater-

ial grain structure to develop,i.e. what we want the materialto see in terms of temperaturedistributions, over some peri-ods of time to generate thephase states, to evolve grainsize, etc. With that, we canthen use conduction physics tobasically propagate that tem-perature distribution back tothe surface to define whatlaser flux distribution we wanton the surface to generate thattime/temperature distribution.

LIAT:With what result?JT: This gives us the ener-

gy distribution that we nowuse as the output requirementfrom a computer-generatedhologram. So, if we now takethe inputting laser beam char-acteristics, which we deter-mine from measurements orgo by the manufacturer’s spec-ification, we can calculate acomputer-generated hologramthat converts that laser beaminto that output distribution inthe same way as the hologramin the credit card does with awhite light.

Now, because we under-stand the physics of the dif-fraction process, we don’t usea simple hologram becausethey tend to be at best about30% efficient. We actually usewhat is known as a ‘kino-form,’ and that is a diffractivestructure that converts virtual-ly all of the incident laser lightreally where we want it to go,so we can convert typically90-95% of the incident laserbeam into what we want –which is a very efficient use ofour laser beam.

So, that’s the calculation of

theholo-gram,now allwe haveto do ismanu-facturethatholo-gram.For meto sayall we have to do is a slightsimplification (because thiswork has been occupying theteam and me for probablyabout 20 years) and the maxi-mum power we have used onsuch optics with CO2 lasers isup to 10 kilowatts CW.

LIAT: So far, so good!This depends upon the lasertype?

JT: Yes. We now have asituation where we have tothen fabricate the diffractiveand this depends upon the typeof laser we’re using. If we’reusing a CO2 laser we typicallyuse a mirror element, wemachine it to the substrate andthen coat with a multilayergold overlay and that gives usthe element that can be watercooled and put into the opticstrain.

With the hologram fabri-cated, we then discovered thatwe needed to put together aproper optic system specifical-ly designed around the needsof the laser, initially wethought it was all just aboutthe diffractive mirror. It turnsout what we really need is abeam delivery system to goonto the laser that protects all

Novel Ideas from ICALEO

Holography Meets Laser In 1947, the Hungarian-British physicist Dennis Gabor

was working at Imperial College, London, on ways ofimproving the performance of the electron microscope whenhe unexpectedly discovered the technique of producing holo-grams. Gabor received the l971 Nobel Prize in Physics forhis discovery.

Holography did not progress significantly until the laserwas invented in 1960. In 1963, Emmett Leith, working withJuris Upatnieks in Michigan, became familiar with Gabor’swork and applied his theory with laser light sources. Thefirst holograms that recorded three-dimensional objects wereborn; practical holography became possible. Called transmis-sion holograms, they are viewed by shining laser lightthrough them.

To record a transmission hologram, light from a laser isdivided into two beams – one goes directly to a photographicplate, the other is reflected off the object before reaching theplate. If the developed plate is illuminated by laser light, athree-dimensional image of the object can be seen. Rainbowtransmission holograms produce images when ordinary lightis reflected from them.

Holography is applied in many fields. Most people arefamiliar with the holograms on their credit cards to improvesecurity. Source: www.timesonline.co.UK

“It’s like people who used to listen to AM radio andthink its good and state-of-the-art, and now we’ve gotmulti-point surround sound audio and that is the differ-

ence; when you’re used to listening to audio and get-ting every sensation, it seems somewhat strange towatch these people still listening to their AM radio.”

John Tyrer

The 2007 InternationalLaser SafetyConference (ILSC®),

to be held in San Francisco,Calif. Mar. 19-22, 2007, is acomprehensive four-day confer-ence covering all aspects of

laser safety practice and hazardcontrol. Technical sessions andworkshops will address devel-opments in regulatory, manda-tory and voluntary safety stan-dards for laser products and forlaser use. Presented by LIA,laser safety experts from allover the world will meet anddiscuss their research, programsand standards making ILSC2007 a tremendous source forinformation and networkingopportunities.

NEW for 2007! The Laser Safety Practical

Applications Seminar will beheld Mar. 19-20. This is a two-day seminar for the practicalLaser Safety Officer (LSO). Itwill be particularly useful for

LSOs who are not full-timelaser safety professionals.Participants will be involvedin practical interactive work-shops, panel discussions, andhot topics addressing the morecommon safety issues andconcerns of the day-to-dayoperations in commercial, fac-tory, research, and medicalfacility settings. Earn up totwo BLS and ABIH CM points(.5 point per half day of atten-

dance, 2.0 total IndustrialHygiene CM points).

Registration Information Full conference registration

includes admission to the ple-nary session and all technicalsessions, workshops, welcomereception and awards pre-sentation, tabletop exhibits,and a technical digest.Registration can be complet-ed in two ways – online orby downloading a PDF reg-istration form fromwww.laserinstitute.org/con-ferences/ilsc. Discounts aregiven to those who registerearly. Conference paymentin full by Feb. 5, 2007 forLIA members and cooperat-ing societies is $625, or$675 for nonmembers. FromFeb. 6 to Feb. 23, the priceincreases to $670 for LIAmembers and cooperating

societies, or $755 for non-members. Onsite conferenceregistration is $720 and $805respectively. One- and two-day registrations are alsoavailable. For more informa-tion visit www.laserinstitite.org/conferences/ilsc.

LIA TODAY

January/February 200715

the optics. That brought a few features

into the delivery system so thatthe interchangeability of theoptics is very quick, the systemis sealed up from the environ-ment; it has all sort of kinemat-ics built-in so we can take outa lot of the alignment issues,and that’s all been dealt withinthe opto-mechanics. It’s asealed box so we can keep allthe crud from getting into andonto the optics, and then at thebottom of the delivery head isa place where we put an envi-ronmental chamber so we canpump shield gases onto thesubstrate during processing asyou would do with any otherlaser technique. That is basical-ly the nub of the thing.

LIAT: And what is thedownside?

JT: In terms of the down-

side, well, as far as I’m con-cerned, there is no real down-side insofar as you are taking alaser that probably cost you$100,000, you have a workhandling system that deliverscomponents to the head of thelaser. Now what you are actu-ally able to do conceptually isconvert this laser and treat itlike a traditional machine toolsuch as a lathe. Now the primemover is the laser and theoptics simply slot in and theyconvert that laser to do lots ofdifferent jobs.

If you want a laser drillerand you want to drill say 100or 1,000 holes, that would be a10 by 10 or a 20 by 50 matrix,at whatever the required geom-etry is, and all of those holescould be diffraction limited, orthey could be cylinders ortapers. They could be coredrillers, so instead of trying to

blast the middle out, you canmake the beams into ringsreplacing trepanning, you havethe trepanning head built intothe optic. All these integratedthings with one drilling optic,then you just take the optic outand you insert another one andsuddenly you get a state-of-the-art laser welder.

Traditionally, you would goand buy a laser and the lasermakers would say: “Oh, youmust have this laser becausethis is a welding laser,” andthen you need a different laser,“for this is a cutting laser.”Now the sales pitch is: “Hereis the laser, what holographicoptics do you want to match itto the specific job?” So, theoptics are the missing link.

We have always treated theoptics badly in high powerlasers. We’ve always worriedabout this bloody big light bulb

and about the material han-dling, the environmental, andeverything else. The bit at theend – well, we just had afocusing lens and a bit of noz-zle. Now what we are doing isadding the real and uniquevalue because we are capturingthe process in the optic.

It’s really not fair to saythere is a downside; the down-side is you do it the traditionalway. It is that the currentapproach is the simple and lim-iting way.

So, it is like people whoused to listen to AM radio andthink it is good and state-of-the-art. Now we have multi-point surround-sound audioand that’s the difference.

The more and more we getinto it, the less and less weunderstand why everyone elseis doing it badly, you know.(laugh) So, there you go!

Time for ILSC

ILSC at a Glance• Safety Standards LegislationWorldwide• High Intensity Light Sources• Bioeffects• Medical Laser Safety• Laser Hazard Evaluation inIndustrial Applications• Protective Systems & Devices• Audits• Industrial Laser Applications• Laser Safety Training• Non-Beam Hazards & FumeExtraction• Outdoor Laser Use & Safety• Measurements

LIA CorporateMember WilsonSales Company was

founded in 1957 by David andElizabeth Wilson in SanGabriel, Calif. to sell soft wallsafety partitions, machineguards, and laser safety acces-sories. Since its inception, thecompany has been servingindustry by researching today'sindustry developments fortomorrow's safety needs.

In 1968, Wilson originatedthe revolutionary concept oftransparent welding curtains.After years of extensive mar-keting, the company intro-duced spectra curtain, whichcreates an ideal welding envi-ronment by manipulating light

rays. Even today, the spectracurtain is one of Wilson’sbiggest sellers.

The company changed itsname to Wilson Industries in1986. “Originally, the companywas founded as a sales agencyand distributor. However, thecompany evolved into a manu-facturing entity and we felt thatWilson Industries was morerepresentative of this,”explained Dean Wilson, presi-dent and owner.

Continually EvolvingFrom humble beginnings in

1957 when a single machineproduced a steel mesh barrier,to the 30,000 square foot facil-ity that now houses WilsonIndustries, the company con-tinues to manufacture the high-est quality flexible partitionsand industrial curtains in theworld. Today, Wilson’s R&Ddepartment consists of three

employees, and the companyextensively uses local universi-ties and consultants in itsresearch and product develop-ment. Wilson is working onnew fabrics for high tempera-ture applications for the future,and they are also developing anew system for fabric supportand assembly.

To stay a viable and vitalpart of the industry, over theyears Wilson has made thenecessary changes in its prod-ucts and product line.

“Wilson was one of thefirst companies to offer anasbestos replacement fabric inthe 1970s. We pioneered thefirst transparent welding cur-tain and the first laser safety

partition. Theadvent ofautomation hascaused us tomake perime-ter barriers for

robots and other automatedequipment. Sound absorptionand internal air pollution con-cerns have caused us to changeour barriers to react to thisstimulus. Reacting to the risingcost of energy, we havedesigned strip curtain barriersto insulate from the cold andheat,” explained Wilson.

“Currently, ourproduction floor issegmented into twodistinct manufactur-ing divisions. One isdedicated to themanufacture of vinylcurtain products con-sisting of transparentand opaque rein-forced materials, andthe other houses oursewing operation forthe production of ourheat managementfabrics, such aswelding blankets,

stress relief pads, and otherwork area accessories,” hesaid.

During the last five years,expansion into new products,such as automotive repair facil-ity curtains and laser beamsafety barriers, has occurred.Providing solutions in the formof flexible curtains and parti-tions for applications in weld-ing, safety, automotive, lasersafety, environmental manage-ment, and noise attentuationapplications is the basis ofWilson’s business.

Involved In IndustryWilson Industries became a

corporate member of LIA in2000. “The LIA is the premierorganization designed to fur-ther the advancement of lasers.Being a member of the LIAenables us to be informed ofindustry changes and advance-ments,” said Wilson.

Dean Wilson is on the LIABoard of Directors, the Ameri-can Welding Society Board ofDirectors, and serves on theIndustry Partnering Committeefor the Gases and WeldingDistributors Association.

For more information aboutWilson Industries, visitwww.wilsonindustries.com.

LIA TODAY

January/February 2007 16

Wilson IndustriesM

EM

BE

R P

RO

FIL

E

Safety Rules!Since 1957, Wilson Industries contin-

ues to research new technical develop-ments for tomorrow’s safety needs.Wilson’s Laser Safety Products Group is aculmination of this research and providesa collection of products for industrial andmedical environments, such as its line ofLaz-R-Barrier Curtains, Optical TableLaz-R-Barriers, and free-standing Laz-R-Barrier Screens. Other work area productsinclude a complete line of laser safetyeyewear, illuminated signs, and printedwarning signs. All Wilson products meetor exceed the specifications of ANSI.

LIA TODAY

January/February 200717

• Laser cutting and welding tools

• Interactive process control and process monitoring

• Inspection tools

• Control circuits

• Seam tracking

• Beam delivery

• Cladding

American Laser Enterprises has the

technological experience to bring you

the best OEM components and

systems for industrial laser

applications.

55820 Grand River Ave., New Hudson, MI 48165

248.449.3714www.a-l-e.net

tial intellectual base and will provide expertise as more facultyare progressively drawn into this new area.

NIST Laser-Based Method Cleans Up NanotubesBefore carbon nanotubes can fulfill their promise as ultra-

strong fibers, electrical wires in molecular devices, or hydrogenstorage components for fuel cells, better methods are neededfor purifying raw nanotube materials. Researchers at theNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and theNational Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL, Golden,Colo.), have taken a step toward this goal by demonstrating asimple method of cleaning nanotubes by zapping them withcarefully calibrated laser pulses.

When carbon nanotubes – the cylindrical form of thefullerene family – are synthesized by any of several processes,a significant amount of contaminants such as soot, graphite,and other impurities also is formed. Purifying the product is animportant issue for commercial application of nanotubes. TheNIST/NREL team described how pulses from an excimer lasergreatly reduce the amount of carbon impurities in a sample ofbulk carbon single-walled nanotubes, without destroying tubes.The general approach is simpler and less costly than conven-tional “wet chemistry” processes, which can damage the tubesand also require removal of solvents afterwards.

The new method is believed to work because, if properlytuned, the laser light transfers energy to the vibrations and rota-tions in carbon molecules in both the nanotubes and contami-nants. The nanotubes, however, are more stable, so most of theenergy is transferred to the impurities, which then react readilywith oxygen or ozone in the surrounding air and are eliminated.Success was measured by examining the energy profiles of thelight scattered by the bulk nanotube sample after exposure todifferent excimer laser conditions. Each form of carbon pro-duces a different signature. Changes in the light energy as thesample was exposed to higher laser power indicated a reductionin impurities.

Laser Technique Reveals Earthquake Trouble SpotsScientists at the University of Leicester, U.K., have shown

that airborne LiDAR (light detection and ranging – in this case,a powerful laser mounted on an aircraft) can be used in moun-tainous terrain to “virtually deforest” the landscape and soreveal details of the forest floor topography, including traces ofactive faults, reported the Nov. 8, 2006 issue of Optics.org.

Topographic images derived from LiDAR data of two majorplate boundary faults, the Idrija and Ravne strike-slip faults inSlovenia, reveal geomorphological and structural features thatshed light on the overall architecture and movement history ofboth fault systems.

“For the first time, we are able to see how the faults connectat the surface and cut the landscape,” said Dickson Cunningham.“This allows us to assess whether the faults are likely to producelarge earthquakes or small events in the future.”

The images also enable earth scientists to identify suitablesites for detailed fault analysis. Such studies can help to deter-mine how often major earthquakes are likely to happen, andalso provide a probabilistic estimate of the timing and magni-tude of the next major earthquake.

In The News, cont. from pg. 1

LIA TODAY

January/February 2007 18

ALAW will be heldApril 17-19, 2007in Plymouth,

Mich. Registration is nowopen at www.alawlaser.org,and a promotional brochure isavailable. Lasers — UltimateFlexibility will be the focusof the 2007 ALAW confer-ence. This three-day premierindustry event introducesstate-of-the-art processes inlaser technology in manufac-turing and automotive envi-ronments. The 2007 confer-ence has been expanded andimproved by adding anotherday aimed at educating end-users on laser applicationsand the benefits of using lasertechnology.

The conference chair isFrank DiPietro and co-chairs

are Eckhard Beyer ofFraunhofer WLT, MarianaForrest of DaimlerChrysler,and Stanley Ream of EdisonWelding Institute.

Day one of the confer-ence, “Fabricators Day –Making Money with Lasers,”will focus on giving man-agers and owners of manu-facturing facilities and jobshops a fundamental under-standing of laser technology,application realities, andsolutions to practical prob-lems. Days two and three willbe the “Automotive LaserApplications Workshop” andwill feature senior level exec-utives and engineers from theglobal automotive industry.The presentations willinclude laser processing for

automotive components;diode, fiber, and disk laserapplications for welding andcutting; and how lasers arebeing used worldwide in theautomotive industry.

Registration InformationFull conference registra-

tion is $895 for nonmembersand $845 for LIA, FMA andcooperating institutions mem-bers. Day one only registra-tion is $345 for nonmembersand $295 for members.Registration for days two andthree only is $795 for non-members and $745 for mem-bers. For more information,contact Rich Greene at 407-380-1553, rgreene@alawlaser.org, or visit www.alawlaser.org.

Get It All At ALAW ALAW at a Glance

• Keynote – Future of Lasers inMetal Fabrication

• A New Tool for Metal Fabricators • Companies Using Laser Welding • Importance of Laser Safety • Laser Tube Cutting• Plate Cutting Advancements • Benefits of Custom LaserSystems

• Understanding the True Cost ofOwning a Laser

• High Speed Lasers • Automating Lasers • Global Laser Brazing Applications • North American AutomotiveApplications

• Automotive Powertrain andComponents Applications

• Remote Laser Applications• Future of Automotive LaserManufacturing

• Advanced Laser Applications• European Automotive Applications• Asian Automotive Applications

Editor’s Note: In theSeptember/October 2006 issue of LIATODAY, we ran an article titled “LaserWelding: Quality, Efficiency &Adaptability” that discussed changes inlaser welding and forecasted the future.One of our readers, Conrad Banas, whoretired after 50 years in the laser industryand is the 1997 Schawlow Award recipi-ent, had the following response:

Stan Ream’s comment about theenduring applicability of early

laser welding information is on the mark.Beam quality was definitely adequate,and no one has repealed the first and sec-ond laws of thermodynamics during thepast 35 years. Relative to the early work,it is noted that extensive laser weldingprocess development took place duringthe ’70s and ’80s. Significant events inthe ’70s included the first laser keyholewelds (1970); the first remote weldingsystem; the first multikilowatt productionsystems; LaserglazeTM; welding at100kW; fusion zone purification; weldingwith a high frequency interrupted beam;out-of-position welding; welding in softvacuum; welding with cold wire, hotwire, powder, and preplaced filler addi-tion; and near-net-shape formation ofcomponents with controlled metallurgicalstructures by sintering of powder (nowcalled rapid prototyping). In the ’80s,developments included hybrid welding,welding with a high frequency scanningspot, welding with a 25kW chemical(DF) laser, welding in hard vacuum, twinspot welding, and installations of increas-ing numbers of multikilowatt lasers inhigh volume production.

While the reliability of initial devel-opmental lasers left something to bedesired, properly maintained lasers placedin production in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90sdelivered reliable production service forup to 100,000 hours. Price per kWdecreased with increase in laser power;large units sold in the ’90s for less than$40,000 per kW (adjusted for inflation).Early production lasers, however, werelarge, noisy, required significant auxiliaryequipment and exhibited overall systemefficiencies of less than 10%. Modernsystems, notably the fiber, are compact,

quiet, and can offer two or more timesthe efficiency of the systems of yester-year. Of note is that lasers in routine, reli-able, cost-effective production weldingapplications around the globe currentlynumber in the thousands.

Conspicuous by its absence from thereview article is identification of the pri-mary factor, which has led to widespreaduse of laser welding in production despitecomparatively high equipment costs. Thisis not “pinpoint accuracy,” which is afunction of controls, fixturing, andmotion equipment in the same mannerthat a lathe cutting tool is only capable ofprecision machining when mounted onprecision equipment. The major factorcontributing to the laser’s desirability forproduction is its unique capability (sharedwith electron beams) of keyhole welding.Keyhole welding enables direct thermalenergy delivery into weld material andnot just at the material surface. Thisresults in minimal thermal influence onsurrounding material, reduced thermaldistortion, high melting efficiency, highwelding speeds, and narrow fusion zonesexhibiting depth-to-width ratios of theorder of 5:1 to 10:1 or greater.

The latter compare to 0.5:1 for con-ventional welding processes, which areshackled by the constraints of the slowprocess of thermal diffusion. Although

electron beams share keyholing capabili-ty, lasers readily provide this capability atatmospheric pressure with an unparal-leled ease of adaptability to automation.Finally, I don’t share the view that robotshave turned laser welding applications“upside down.” Although robots mayoften simplify installation, set up, andmultitasking operations, they do not cur-rently possess either the accuracy or thespeed required for many production laserwelding applications.

It is anticipated that the next fewyears will see continued growth in thenumber and variety of production appli-cations as justified by return on invest-ment (ROI) considerations. Refinementsin existing processing techniques anddevelopment of new, innovative applica-tions are to be expected. As system salesincrease, some cost amelioration mayoccur; this should fuel more rapid expan-sion of production use. Developments inpotential heavy section welding applica-tions (armor plate, line pipe, heavy platejoining, on-site fabrication of structuralcomponents, etc.), however, will remaindormant because higher power systems(to 60kW) are no longer available.Currently, little market incentive existsfor development of such systems.

Connie Banas

LIA TODAY

January/February 200719

ASC Z136 Update

The annual meeting of ASC Z136 will be held on Sunday, March 18, 2007 inconjunction with the 2007 International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC®) at

the San Francisco Airport Marriott. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Hotel Accommodations – Committee members who make their reservations

prior to Feb. 19 can receive the same conference-special hotel rate of $98 plus tax(single or double) as conference attendees. Reservations can be made by calling800-228-9290 or 650-692-9100 and asking for the “LASLASA” room block.

This meeting is open to the public; however, an RSVP is required for meal plan-ning purposes. If you would like to attend as an observer, please contact BarbaraSams at bsams@laserinstitute.org or call 407-380-1553 for more information.

Additionally, a number of ancillary meetings relating to the development ofnational and international laser safety standards will be held in conjunction withILSC® 2007. The meetings will include working groups of the IEC and ANSI stan-dards. A complete meetings list can be downloaded from the Z136.org website(www.z136.org) or call for a meetings schedule. Don’t miss your opportunity tomeet the chairs of the three newly formed standards subcommittees during the ven-dor program on Tuesday, March 20 – be sure to stop by the ASC Z136 booth!

Letter to the Editor

LIA TODAY

January/February 2007 20

Donna Label, Nevada City, CAMichael Zorn, San Diego, CAJim Edwards, East Granby, CTSalman Syed, Cedar Rapids, IAScott Carter, Batavia, ILEric Hild, Algonquin, ILVictoria Plebanovich, Wheeling, ILJason Zander, Urbana, ILLorraine Calzetta, Ashland, MADavid Farrand, Jackson, MIRobert Tucker, Charlotte, NCGuy Goulet, Hanover, NHPeggy Nixon, Estacada, OR

Carissa Mertz, Philadelphia, PACharles Black, Austin, TXStephen Adams, Jr., Charlottesville, VASteve Foldesi, Hinesburg, VTRobert Beal, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaScott Shearer, MD, Vejle , DenmarkClaus Thomy, Hambergen, GermanyEvangelia Lioumi, Keratea, GreeceGiuseppe Daurelio, Bari, ItalyAdekunle Awosika, Jr., Dakar, SenegalNam Seong Kim, Ph.D., Anyang, South KoreaPaul Dyberg, Gothenburg, Sweden

Welcome New LIA Members

For a complete list of corporate members, visit our corporate directory at www.laserinstitute.org.

Corporate Members

Individual Members

• Lasercut, Inc., Branford, CT• O R Laser, Elk Grove Village, IL• Seton Family of Hospitals, Austin, TX

LIA encourages all LIA members in the surrounding areas of these chapters to join the chapter and support its efforts to promote the laser industry on a regional level.

For more information or to volunteer to help, visit www.laserinstitute.org/membership/chapters.

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Chapter Corner

Northeast ChapterThe last meeting of the Northeast

Chapter was held Dec. 19, 2006 at theColonial Club in Webster, Mass., withthe topic “Intelligent Laser Welding,Beam Delivery and SensorConsiderations.” Also on the agenda wasan open house of IPG Photonics whereattendees toured the manufacturing facil-ity to view fiber lasers in action. Formore information, visit www.laserinsti-tute.org/membership/chapters/new_eng-land/.

Great Lakes Chapter The Great Lakes Chapter held its

first event of 2007 on Jan. 16 in AnnArbor, Mich. Titled “Industry SnapshotNight,” the evening was jointly hostedwith the Ann Arbor Chapter of theOptical Society of America (OSA) andtook place at the Spark ITZone Events

Center. The purpose of the IndustrySnapshot Night was to bring togetherpeople from the many high-tech, optics-related industries in southeast Michiganin order to foster discussion, innovation,collaboration, and of course to have fun.Area companies set up tabletop displaysduring the networking session.

There was a presentation from EricVan Stryland, president of OSA, titled“OSA and University/IndustryPartnerships.” He talked about how net-working fostered by OSA in its FloridaChapter brought about interaction ofuniversity research and industry mem-bers, and led to several research pro-jects. Hopefully this will serve as apotential model for the LIA and OSAchapters in Michigan as a way to bringthe research and industrial communitiestogether.

New 2007 Great Lakes Chapter com-mittee members are: Chair Eric Stiles,

Laser Division Manager of FraunhoferCenter for Coatings and LaserApplications; Secretary Mon Myaing ofClark MXR; Advisor Mike Klos of IPGPhotonics, Midwest Operations, andAdvisor Michelle Stock of IMRA.

For more information, please visitwww.laserinstitute.org/ membership/chapters/great_lakes/.

Northern CA Chapter

The Northern CA Chapter includesthe state of California, but is not limitedto just that state. The goal of the chapteris to create a forum for networking withlaser professionals in NorthernCalifornia. Bimonthly meetings will beheld throughout the area with a guestspeaker or company tour as part of eachone. For more chapter-specific informa-tion, visit www.laserinstitute.org /membership/Chapters/ West/.

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Laser Institute of America • 800.34.LASER • www.laserinstitute.org

1. Which is one of the most important pieces ofinformation included in the Standard OperatingProcedure for a laser?

A. Identification of potential hazards.B. The name of the LSO.C. The laser manufacturer.D. Medical requirements.

2. Which of the following is the transparent outersurface of the eye?

A. Retina B. LensC. Cornea D. Fovea

3. Irradiance is normally measured in which one of the following units?

A. Watts per square centimeter B. JoulesC. Centimeters D. Watts

4. Which one of the following is NOTused to determine the MPE for alaser?

A. Source sizeB. WavelengthC. Exposure durationD. Nominal hazard zone

5. Which of the following is NOT anexample of invisible laser radiation?

A. A 10,600 nm CO2 laser beam.B. A 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser beam. C. Ultraviolet radiation.D. A 532 nm Nd:YAG laser beam.

(Answers: A, C, A, D, D)

Donʼt know as much as you thought you did? Donʼt get stressed – call the LIA! No matter what your current level of safety knowledge, we have the training and/or publications you need to pass with flying colors!

DDoo yyoouu kknnooww tthhee bbaass iiccss??TTeesstt YYoouurrssee ll ff

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Testing Format AdditionBeginning Jan. 1, 2007, the Board of

Laser Safety (BLS) is now offering pen-cil and paper tests again as well as thecomputer-based testing for its certifica-tion exams – Certified Laser SafetyOfficer (CLSO) and Certified MedicalLaser Safety Officer (CMLSO). There arealready over 325 computer testing loca-tions throughout the U.S. and Canada,but BLS, due to popular demand, decidedto add the paper version back into theprogram. This testing requires the appli-cant to appear in person to take the examclassroom-style on a preset date andrequires about a four-week wait for scor-ing. For those who do not want to wait,the computer-based method scores imme-diately. The application fee for eitherexam is $50 with an exam fee of $300 forCLSO and $150 for CMLSO. ContactBLS’s Executive Director Rich Greene at1,800.34.LASER/407-380-1553, e-mailbls@lasersafety.org or visit www.laser-safety.org for more information.

Call for PapersLIA is seeking abstract submissions

for the 26th International Congress onApplications of Lasers & Electro-Optics(ICALEO® 2007), to be held Oct. 29-Nov. 1, 2007 in Orlando, Fla. Paperssought cover topics such as processes likerapid prototyping, surface modificationand sensing and monitoring, lasersincluding diode-pumped and advancedlaser sources, applications in medicineand biotechnology, precision mechanicsand laser sources.

Abstracts should contain original,recent unpublished results of applicationresearch, development or implementa-tion. The abstract submittal deadline isMar. 23, 2007. For complete details onsubmitting abstracts for ICALEO or forsponsorships, which are also available,visit www.icaleo.org or contact BethCohen at 800.34.LASER or e-mail bco-hen@laserinstitute.org.

LIA’s Medical Auditing ServicesDon't forget LIA offers medical audit-

ing services. LIA's auditing will assisthealth care facilities to be in compliancewith ANSI Z136.3-2005 Safe Use of

Lasers in Health Care Facilities and alsohelp you become compliant/prepared forJCAHO and OSHA inspections. An LIAmedical audit will: review all aspects ofyour laser program; review current laserpolicies and procedures; review compe-tencies to operate laser equipment usingour checklist; review responsibilities ofthe laser safety officer, and more.

Each facility that has an audit willreceive one complimentary registration toLIA's Medical Laser Safety OfficerTraining Course (an $895 value!). Formore information, contact Rich Greene atrgreene@laserinstitute.org or visitwww.laserinstitute.org.

Training IS an OptionToo busy to get away but want train-

ing? Don’t forget, LIA’s Medical LaserSafety Officer (MLSO) and other coursesare now available in online format atwww.laserinstitute.org.

2007 Publications Fire SaleLIA is cleaning out its closets and our

members get to benefit! Until March 31,2007, we have discounted many selectpublications, so take advantage of sup-plies while they last. Prices listed are inmember/nonmember order. • LIA Guide to Non-Beam HazardsAssociated with Laser Use (pub. 109)– $6/$9 (regularly $19) • LIA Guide to Laser Materials Process-ing (pub. 107) – $12/$16 (regularly$22)• LIA’s Laser Safety Manual (pub. 204)– $60/$70 (regularly $80)• Laser Cutting Guide for Manufactur-ing (pub. #205) – $110/$130 (regularly$150)• Medical Laser Application Trainingfor Physicians (pub. 311) – $995 forboth members and nonmembers (regularly $1,495)• LASIM® Training and SimulationProgram for Laser Beam Cutting (pub.307) and Training and SimulationProgram for Laser Beam Welding(pub. 308) – $495/$595 each (regular-ly $795)To order any of these publications,

visit www.laserinstitute.org/bookstore orcall 800-34-LASER.

LIA Announces

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LIA TODAY NewsletterLaser Institute of America13501 Ingenuity Drive, Suite 128Orlando, FL 32826

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