“In Industry 4.0, lasers provide a connection between the virtual and real world”
As scientific and technical director of Hanover’s Laser Center (LZH), Prof. Ludger Overmeyer works at the interface between research and industry. In our interview, he talks about trends in laser material processing, potential still to be exploited in process optimization, and his expectations for the conference LiM—Lasers in Manufacturing, which he will be leading from June 25 to 29, 2017, as part of the World of Photonics Congress. Prof. Overmeyer, as conference manager of LiM 2017, what highlights do you expect? Prof. Ludger Overmeyer: We have a very wide range of presentations this year by the most prestigious experts from Asia, the U.S., Canada and various European countries. Together, the presentations cover the entire spectrum of modern laser applications, from micro and macro processing to additive processes for metals, plastics and even biological tissue. Prof. Paulo J. Bartolo from Portugal will be giving a keynote presentation on tissue engineering in regenerative medi...