The LaserON research group, part of the Centre for Research in Technologies, Energy and Industrial Processes (Cintecx) at the University of Vigo, has released a new book titled Laser Based Manufacturing. This volume provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of manufacturing technologies that utilise laser applications. The esteemed international publisher CRC Press, a subsidiary of Taylor & Francis, has published the book as part of its Advanced Materials Processing and Manufacturing series.
The book has been edited by seven researchers affiliated with the LaserON group: Juan Pou, Fernando Lusquiños, Mohamed Boutinguiza, Félix Quintero, Antonio Riveiro, Rafael Comesaña, and Jesús del Val. It is the culmination of over 30 years of research experience in laser material processing, alongside close collaborations with leading international researchers and institutions.
“With this book, we aimed to gather in one work the fundamentals of the main laser-based manufacturing technologies and some of the latest advancements in this field. It is also the result of many years of work by our group and the scientific collaborations we have established with researchers from different countries,” said Juan Pou, coordinator of LaserON.
Participating institutions in the book's chapters include the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (Germany), the Laser Zentrum Hannover (Germany), the Advanced Manufacturing Research Center at the University of Sheffield (United Kingdom), Ruhr University Bochum (Germany), KU Leuven (Belgium), Universitat de Barcelona, and Leibniz University (Germany), among others. This international collaboration highlights the extensive network of scientific partnerships that LaserON has developed throughout its history.
From industrial manufacturing to micro and nanotechnology
Spanning 15 chapters, Laser Based Manufacturing covers both the physical fundamentals of laser-material interaction and the principal technologies currently employed in industry. These include cutting, welding, surface coating, additive manufacturing, and laser marking. The book also pays special attention to advanced technologies such as two-photon absorption polymerisation, laser-induced material transfer, nanofibre manufacturing, and nanoparticle synthesis. Consequently, the publication encompasses applications ranging from conventional industrial manufacturing processes to the creation of materials and structures at the micro and nanometric scale.
Additionally, it includes chapters dedicated to process modelling, the latest technological advancements, and sustainability—an increasingly important aspect in the implementation of new manufacturing technologies.
A contribution to education and research
The publication is primarily aimed at researchers, professionals, and engineering students interested in laser technologies and their industrial applications. Its goal is to provide a reference that combines scientific fundamentals with descriptions of technological processes and the latest advancements in the field. The release of this work also serves as recognition of the LaserON group's longstanding contributions to research in laser material processing, through scientific publications, patents, research projects, and collaborations with national and international companies and research centres.
