The interest in composites has grown greatly over the past decade. Their unique properties offer increasingly important advantages in manufacturing; but cutting, drilling, and other forms of materials processing can present a major challenge. Lasers offer a unique solution; they are finding a growing number of industrial applications, and developments in both laser and material technologies have recently led to a further expansion in this area.

Scheduled for December 3rd in Rotherham, UK, the AILU workshop Laser Processing of Polymer, Metal, and Ceramic Composites provides a broad overview of the current status of both laser technology and composite types , with presentations from industrial users, researchers, and laser manufacturers.

Specific themes include laser processing of polymer composites within the aerospace industry; laser processing of metallic comosite components; machining, cutting, drilling, and texturing of carbon fiber composites; material addition and cladding of composites; and current state of the art in lasers for composite processing.

The workshop will take place in the Rolls-Royce Factory of the Future within the Advanced Manufacturing Research Center (AMRC) with Boeing. The AMRC is a collaboration between world leaders in the aerospace supply chain, key government offices, and international academic institutions. Delegates will get to see the AMRC's state of the art facilities.

For more information, visit www.ailu.org.uk.

Mon Nov 10 07:06:00 CST 2008