Blogs

The potential benefit of functionally integrated components made of steel and aluminum has sparked global research in methods to weld these two dissimilar staple metals for many years. The ability to leverage steel and aluminum alloys in mixed metallic components could dramatically reduce the weight of automobiles and planes without sacrificing mechanical strength, and offers…

At the 2017 International Microwave Symposium, our two associated brands were discussing the unique substrate and material processing requirements of the RF and microwave industry. What we found was if materials like alumina ceramic from Coorstek, metals, foils, epoxies, microwave absorbers, and other materials are what designers and procurement agents are looking for in a pinch (and…

When selecting an effective marking method, every application is unique; different materials interact differently with laser energy.  A variety of factors, from materials to finishes can affect your final outcome. There are a number of laser marking processes to choose from such as ablation, engraving, etching and more. Choosing the right method to achieve a…

Invented in 1960, the laser was introduced to the plant floor just five years later when the first production laser-cutting machine was used to drill holes in diamond dies. But even though lasers have had a long and successful history in manufacturing, people still have a lot of questions about them in that role. So…

If you are a product manufacturer how do you know which technology is a better way to cut your materials: laser cutting or water jet cutting? (We covered the relative merits of a third technology, die cutting, in another blog article.) As with most things in life, no one answer fits every situation. The thickness…

Understanding laser ablation vs. chemical etching and solder dams when looking to control solder flow or remove layers of unwanted materials from a printed circuit board (PCB) or integrated circuit (IC), is pretty basic science. Laser ablation is a process that removes layers of materials from the surface of a solid object while leaving the…