[Speaker 1]

Listen LiSEC.

[Speaker 2]

The podcast about glass processing. Welcome to Listen LiSEC season two, Deep Dives. In this episode, we're exploring the cutting edge of laser technology in glass surface processing.

Why are lasers suddenly relevant? What's changed? And where are we headed?

My name is Sarah. I'm part of the LiSEC marketing team.

[Speaker 1]

And I'm Hannes, part of the sales team at LiSEC.

[Speaker 2]

We are recording today at our production plant in Lower Austria, and our studio is located inside the training centre. So you might hear machines moving in the background and processing glass. My first question today for you is why is laser technology relevant for glass processing now?

[Speaker 1]

Well, Sarah, that is actually a very good question. You know, laser technology has become way more relevant over the past few years, because I think one of the reasons is a shift in technology. So a lot of companies have actually invested a lot of money into getting new laser sources onto the market.

And since the beginning of the 2020s, we can actually see that these sources can meet the demands of processing glass much better than ever before. You know, they can do short pulse durations, they have high energy density with a minimal thermal impact. And this actually opens up new possibilities for precision and quality that conventional methods can't even match.

[Speaker 2]

Amazing. So can you take me back a little? What was stopping laser technology from being relevant in glass?

[Speaker 1]

So you know, Sarah, laser is quite an interesting technology. When you think about it, at least when I think about myself, laser for me is always something from the future. And so it's really fascinating.

But if you look into industrial use of lasers, so specifically go to other industries, like let's say metal, it has been there for the past two decades. Why this didn't pick up in the glass sector, I think has a couple of different reasons. One of the reasons is that glass is a very specific material because it's transparent.

It's a little bit harder to process. And that's why it took manufacturers and universities a little bit longer on the research and development and how to handle this material. Because just imagine the beginning when they were trying to cut glass or decode glass, actually instead of decoding and cutting, it was melting and vaporising.

This is definitely nothing that you would want for a glass processor, right? But now with the new ultra short pulse lasers, this has actually been solved. And I think this is also the reason why lasers are actually picking up in the market.

[Speaker 2]

Oh, that makes sense. So what are the areas where lasers are making a difference now?

[Speaker 1]

So Sarah, while we can see that lasers can make a lot of difference in different areas, but I think there are three key areas which we can see on the LISEC side. So one area would be laser decoding, which is a very standard process in laser processing. Another one is laser drilling, which is super exciting when you think about it.

So just a beam of light is actually cutting a hole into a glass sheet. And I think there are a lot of advantages to that, which we speak a little bit later hopefully about. And last but not least, we also do have the marking and surface structuring, which is also called engraving.

So this is also a very exciting new topic, specifically for, for example, bird-friendly glass, which is picking up in major cities around the globe. And lasers can be a really great solution for this.

[Speaker 2]

So what would you say, is laser technology ready to replace conventional methods or are there still some limitations?

[Speaker 1]

As with every technology, of course, laser does also have its challenges. However, I think the limitations today are so limited that laser is something that can be definitely used in conventional production methods. So while setups costs might be a little bit higher at the beginning, because laser sources are still a new technology.

However, the total cost of ownership is certainly way more cost effective, because when you think about conventional methods, let's say like, for example, water jet drilling, you still need to have a lot of consumables. There's a lot of potential dirt in the factory. And also it takes a lot of energy.

So I think this is also when you look at it from an ecological perspective, laser is certainly the future because it's low energy consumption for the same result at the end of the day.

[Speaker 2]

I see. Since there have been such huge strides in the last few years, would you be willing to dream a little with me?

[Speaker 1]

Of course, Sarah.

[Speaker 2]

What can you imagine? How could laser processing look in the future?

[Speaker 1]

So while the vision that I'm going to lay out might be sounding a little bit ambitious. So let's think about one single machine that can do everything.

[Speaker 2]

A magical machine.

[Speaker 1]

A magical machine that can take on a jumbo glass sheet and perform all the necessary processing, starting from cutting, drilling, edge finishing, and even marking using just the beam of light.

[Speaker 2]

That would be amazing.

[Speaker 1]

So I think this is really something that is going to change the industry in the future, because you're going to have clear advantages. It's going to be one machine. It's going to be minimal footprint.

And you're going to have maximum flexibility. And I think this is the direction we're headed. And also one of the reasons why LiSEC is investing into that technology.

[Speaker 2]

I see. So that brings me to my next question. What is LiSEC doing to stay ahead in laser innovation?

[Speaker 1]

So actually, LiSEC has done a lot in the past few years. So they have just recently established a dedicated unit called LiSEC Laser Solutions, which is located in Hanover, which is a centre for laser technology. So we have a very dedicated team there that is doing the laser development.

And also, we do produce the machines all in-house. So this is one thing which is, I think, a big advantage also for our customers, because everything comes out of one hand, from a research and development perspective, all the way to the finished machine.

[Speaker 2]

That's interesting. So my final question to wrap up the episode, what do you think should be the takeaway for our listeners?

[Speaker 1]

So it's actually very easy. Laser technology is not just a trend. It's here to stay.

So it's going to be a transformative tool. It has unmatched precision and flexibility. And I think for everybody out in the industry right now, it's the right point of time to go into detail, reach out to LiSEC, understand what is happening in this field, and also explore what you can do with lasers.

[Speaker 2]

Thank you, Hannes, for sharing your insights. It's been a very exciting Deep Dive today.

[Speaker 1]

Absolutely, Sarah. Thank you so much for having me. Always appreciated and looking forward to our next episode.

[Speaker 2]

Yeah, me too. Thank you to our listeners.

[Speaker 1]

This has been Listen LiSEC, a podcast about glass processing.

[Speaker 2]

Visit lisec.com to find out more about our innovative machines, automation solutions, software and services made in Austria.

[Speaker 1]

Or visit our company blog to read about the latest in glass processing and glass finishing.

[Speaker 2]

For more insights, listen LiSEC.