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Manufacturing Engineer



Technology: Product and Process Design, Machining & Metal Processing, Equipment and Machinery

Manufacturing engineers have the task of making manufacturing processes better, faster, and cheaper. Their success or failure directly impacts the advancement of technology and the spread of innovation.

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Sensors and Lasers



Technology: Automated Manufacturing & Assembly

A LASER (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) is an optical source that emits photons in a coherent beam. Laser light is typically near-monochromatic, i.e., consisting of a single wavelength or color, and emitted in a narrow beam. Visit SME for more information at the website http://www.sme.org/cgi-bin/communities.pl?/communities/ilc/what_are_lasers.htm&&&SME&    Photo is from the Society for Manufacturing Engineers, on the Technical Community Laser Cutting Group.


Laser Cutting - is a process by which light is mixed with an assist gas (typically O2, N2 or Shop Air) and is used to heat material in such a way to fabricate a part or modify an existing workpiece. The laser beam itslef is created via a mixture of gases ("CO2 laser"), which are energized to create a beam of light (series of Photons) that is a monochromatic, unidirectional and easily controllable by the use of mirrors. The raw beam is then focused by a lens to the material in the cutting head, where it is also mixed with the assist gas for the cutting process. Together, the laser beam and the assist gas vaporize the material producing a cleanly cut and highly accurate part that is ready for the next manufacturing process. www.sme.org/lasercutting


Marking - the growth in laser marking applications is driven by an increasing need for parts identification and traceability, both during manufacturing and in their finished form. Moreover, compared to traditional ink-based technologies, laser marking provides the following benefits: Indelible marking, Fast, programmable (milliseconds per character), Environmentally clean, Reduced supply inventory (no inks, pads, stamps, solvents, drying process). Today, 90 percent of laser marking applications are "nonaesthetic" such as bar code, expiration date, identification number and specifications, particularly for parts having high liability in the case of failure. The other 10 percent are aesthetic applications, which mainly consist of a company logos and product differentiation. http://www.sme.org/cgi-bin/getsmepg.pl?/communities/techgroups/lasermarking/homepage.htm&&&SME&


Surface Treatment - Laser surface technologies, such as laser hardening or heat treatment and laser cladding, are used to improve wear protection on new parts and to repair worn parts. Lasers are used to heat treat a wide range of metal components. Compared to conventional processes, only a shallow layer of the metal part is heated by the laser to just below the melting temperature, while the surrounding material remains at ambient temperature. Due to heat conduction into the bulk material, the surface will cool down as soon as the laser beam moves away. This self-quenching creates a particularly fine-grained martensitic microstructure with high hardness without causing embrittlement of the base material. More information about laser surface treatment is at  www.sme.org/lasersurface


Welding - Laser welding is an enabling technology and covers a wide range of applications from microwelding in medical device manufacturing to deep welding in aerospace and automotive world. It is an inherently simple process where a high-powered laser beam is focused to intensity high enough to melt metal - thus producing a weld. Spot or seam welds can be produced. Using different laser wavelengths, materials as diverse as plastics, steel and copper can be welded. www.sme.org/laserwelding


Videos - Examples of laser applications.


"Laser Tube Cutting" (04:31 min) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeGVbtrrHjE&feature=fvw 


"CO2 Laser Cut CNC" (01:47) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyFWGgJqG6w&feature=related