Abstract

Solid-state lasers are attractive sources of coherent radiation for various scientific and technological applications, leading to a substantial growth in European photonics industry. In 2006, the world market sales volume of solid state lasers amounted to more than 1.000 Mio. US$. A key driver of this development is the laser materials processing market with strong impact on several European key economic fields which have already changed due to the application of lasers in production technology. A prominent example can be found in the automotive industry: the welding of car bodies and cutting of stamped parts has improved in both productivity and quality.

© 2007 IEEE