IPG Photonics Announces Acquisition of Laser Depth Dynamics
December 04 2017 - 8:00AM
IPG Photonics Corporation (NASDAQ:IPGP) today announced that it has
acquired Laser Depth Dynamics (LDD), an innovative provider of
in-process quality monitoring and control solutions for laser-based
welding applications.
LDD’s proprietary inline coherent imaging (ICI) technology is
the first industrial solution to enable direct measurement of weld
penetration depth with high precision and in real time by adding a
near-infrared measurement beam to the welding head. ICI technology
offers superior accuracy, speed, and cost-performance, compared
with today’s commonly-used indirect measurement techniques such as
destructive sectioning. LDD’s solutions also support advanced
monitoring features including seam tracking, height following and
3D volume imaging in a single tool. LDD’s flagship imaging systems
can be integrated with leading welding head technologies, including
IPG’s revolutionary wobble welding heads, which provide unmatched
process consistency and ultra-high-power welding heads for deep
penetration welding.
“LDD’s weld monitoring systems and accessories significantly
enhance IPG’s portfolio of industry-leading beam delivery products
and laser welding solutions,” said Felix Stukalin, IPG’s Senior
Vice President of North American Operations. “LDD’s ability to
monitor weld quality in real time and ensure process consistency is
increasingly important within automated production environments. We
believe this technology, when combined with IPG’s expanding
portfolio of welding solutions, will help drive adoption of
laser-based welding within the automotive, medical, consumer
products and aerospace industries.”
LDD was founded in 2012 by Paul Webster, CTO, who initially
developed ICI technology as a Ph.D. candidate in engineering
physics at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada. LDD has 16
employees, and its operation in Kingston, Ontario will become IPG’s
new center of product development for weld monitoring solutions.
While intending to expand the market for LDD’s products through
IPG’s worldwide sales and support channels, IPG will support and
honor all existing customer commitments. Terms of the acquisition
were not disclosed.
About IPG Photonics Corporation
IPG Photonics Corporation is the world leader in high-power
fiber lasers and amplifiers. Founded in 1990, IPG pioneered the
development and commercialization of optical fiber-based lasers for
use in diverse applications, primarily materials processing. Fiber
lasers have revolutionized the industry by delivering superior
performance, reliability and usability at a lower total cost of
ownership compared with conventional lasers, allowing end users to
increase productivity and decrease operating costs. IPG has its
headquarters in Oxford, Massachusetts, and has additional plants
and offices throughout the world. For more information, please
visit www.ipgphotonics.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Information and statements provided by IPG and its employees,
including statements in this press release, that relate to future
plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements. These
statements involve risks and uncertainties. Any statements in this
press release that are not statements of historical fact are
forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, LDD
products significantly enhancing IPG’s portfolio beam delivery
products and laser welding solutions, the increasing importance of
LDD’s ability to monitor weld quality in real time and ensure
process consistency, and driving adoption of laser-based welding
from the combination of LDD technology and IPG’s portfolio welding
solutions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially include risks and uncertainties, including risks
associated with the strength or weakness of the business conditions
in industries and geographic markets that IPG serves, particularly
the effect of downturns in the markets IPG serves; uncertainties
and adverse changes in the general economic conditions of markets;
IPG’s ability to penetrate new applications for fiber lasers and
increase market share; the rate of acceptance and penetration of
IPG’s products; inability to manage risks associated with
international customers and operations; foreign currency
fluctuations; high levels of fixed costs from IPG’s vertical
integration; the appropriateness of IPG’s manufacturing capacity
for the level of demand; competitive factors, including declining
average selling prices; the effect of acquisitions and investments;
inventory write-downs; asset impairment charges; intellectual
property infringement claims and litigation; interruption in supply
of key components; manufacturing risks; government regulations and
trade sanctions; and other risks identified in IPG’s SEC filings.
Readers are encouraged to refer to the risk factors described in
IPG’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (filed with the SEC on February
27, 2017) and its periodic reports filed with the SEC, as
applicable. Actual results, events and performance may differ
materially. Readers are cautioned not to rely on the
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.
IPG undertakes no obligation to update the forward-looking
statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances
after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated
events.
Contact
James Hillier Vice President of Investor Relations IPG Photonics
Corporation 508-373-1467 jhillier@ipgphotonics.com
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