Consultation on the UK Roadmap for Laser-based Manufacturing Applications

A Roadmapping Workshop was proposed by the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Laser-based Production Processes (CIM-LbPP) and the Association of Industrial Laser Users (AILU), and organised in partnership with the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) at Cambridge University, using Roadmap-Workshop methodologies the Institute had previously developed. The IfM also provided the outline Workshop design and led the programme facilitation of the Roadmapping Workshop, which took place on 04 March 2014 in London at the Institute of Physics Headquarters, attracting participants from UK industry, academia and the public sector.

The primary objective of the Roadmapping exercise is to identify new and evolving manufacturing applications where laser processing may play a significant enabling role, e.g. for high-value-added components and systems and those fabricated from new/mixed engineering materials, or relating to new production techniques.  In addition, the aim is to identify relevant areas where research and development would be required to facilitate future laser-based solutions to such production needs, for example in new laser-material process science and technology, new or enhanced laser source development, beam manipulation and delivery, and system integration/control issues.  The roadmap must embrace the needs of both UK industry and researchers, including laser-users in manufacturing and those in the technology-supply chain. It could also contribute to the evidence-base for strategic planners.

To enable a broader range of inputs to influence the content of the Final Roadmap-2014 Report (to be competed in the autumn), an Interim Report (describing the Workshop and its outputs) is now being circulated more widely within the UK Industrial Laser Community for Consultation.   To contribute to this stage of the consultation, would you please read the attached Interim Report and answer the associated questionnaire. and return it by 29 August 2014.

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