Gauging from the response to Laser World of Photonics India 2017 event one could conclude that laser technology is fast gaining traction in the manufacturing sector in India 

 

The 6th edition of Laser World of Photonics India, which was recently held at Pragati Maidan Exhibition Center, New Delhi, attracted 6,404 trade visitors. Spread over 5,500 sq m, 160 exhibitors and 10 additionally represented companies from a total of 16 countries showcased products, recent developments and market trends from the world of lasers and optical technology and its industrial applications.

 

As the trade fair was organised in New Delhi, it was perfectly accessible for application industries such as automotive, heavy engineering, railways, signage and printing to name a few. Laser World of Photonics India proved that all those industries are increasingly using laser and optics in order to improve efficiency and quality.

 

Speaking of his experience at the buyer-seller forum, Haribabu Srivastava, Director, Laser Science and Technology Centre, DRDO (Government of India), said, “We all are aware that lasers have a very bright future and every year the volume of laser machines is increasing, its applications are increasing, whether it is defence, industry applications such as medical, telecommunications, internet, entertainment you name it and the application is there. All the aspects of laser were covered here at the exhibition and I feel that if industry and laboratories come together, we can achieve the ‘Make in India’ dream of the Government.”

 

For the first time, the additive manufacturing pavilion was launched to showcase processing and systems for 3D printing in industrial applications. At the co-located conference, which was jointly organised by CNT Expositions and Services LLP, delegates learned about the growing market for industrial 3D printing.

 

By 2015, the approximate size of the addressable manufacturing market for additive manufacturing was USD 13 trillion, while the market share of additive manufacturing was USD 5 billion. Boston Consulting Group forecasts that it will grow at a compound annual rate of almost 30 per cent through 2020. According to CNT, additive manufacturing is getting a lot of traction in India and many companies are working on moving into functional part manufacturing using additive manufacturing compared to 

only prototyping.

 

Sharing his experience, Nayan Patel, Operations and Technical Manager, Renishaw India, said, “This is the first time we participated at Laser World of Photonics India. Our participation has been really good. The north market especially Delhi NCR requires an eco-system for additive manufacturing and this is a perfect platform. We look forward to participating in the future as well.”

 

The three short courses organised by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Photonics (IEEE Photonics) captured different aspects of fiber lasers and applications, nanophotonics and fundamentals of fiber optics and waveguides.

 

For the second consecutive year since its inception, the Laser Safety Forum garnered positive response from the exhibitors and the visitors, as they learnt about the safe usage of lasers in their working environment. 

 

The buyer-seller forum enabled constructive face to face meetings between buyers and sellers for potential business associations and received participation from companies such as Hero MotoCorp, Bhilai Engineering Corporation, Hella India Automotive, Lastec - DRDO, Sagar Asia, to name a few.

 

The next edition of Laser World of Photonics India will take place again from September 26 to 28, 2018 at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru.