Established in 2019, C. And C. Laser Engineering Pvt Ltd (CnC) has been providing a wide array of scientific and industrial laser products for all kinds of industrial laser solutions. In this interview, Hrishikesh Sawant, Director of C. And C. Laser Engineering, explains the advantages and market potential of laser technologies.

C. And C. Laser Engineering Pvt Ltd has experienced good growth, since it was started in 2019. In our application lab, we now have fiber laser marking/cutting machines from low power to high power, UV laser marking machine, CO2 laser marking/cutting machines and many more. We now have a state-of-the-art clean room laboratory for the in-house servicing and repairing of sophisticated lasers like diode pumped IR, green, UV lasers, CO2 laser and medical laser systems. Our repair/service lab has state-of-the-art equipment like beam profiling, beam diagnostics, pulse diagnostics, oscilloscope, RF diagnostics, etc. We have now started catering to the medical industry as well. The diode pumped lasers offered from QPC Lasers provide solutions for key medical applications. 

The metalworking industry continues to grow, especially the sheet metal fabrication segment. This is in line with the growth of related industries such as manufacturing, construction, aerospace, automotive, architecture, electronics, food processing and tele-communications. Scientists have shown that lasers can concentrate extremely high powers in either pulses or continuous beams. Lasers are used in industries for applications like cutting metals and fabrics, cleaning metallic surfaces, altering the surface roughness, measuring dimensions, and also to weld metals with high precision. In fact, laser systems are used in many manufacturing processes. Industrial lasers are used to cut metals and fabrics, mark tracking codes for industrial traceability, weld metals with high precision, clean metal surfaces, change the surface roughness, and measure part dimensions.

The automotive sector, which contributes 49 per cent to India’s manufacturing gross domestic product (GDP) and 7.1 per cent to India’s overall GDP, has been on slowdown for more than a year; however, it took a V-shape recovery once the lockdown was lifted. The data by the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) says the Indian automotive industry (including component manufacturing) is expected to reach $ 251.4–282.8 billion by 2026 and still will be a major contributor for growth. 

I see the manufacturing scenario is certainly going to change due to a push for certain market segments such as defense, infrastructure, automotive, and others, and one of the keys can be the Indian government’s purchase policy. Due to the effect of the pandemic, the Indian government has put forth the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat more strongly to reduce dependency on imports from other countries. As per the new government procurement policy, for purchase up to $ 26 million preference will be given to the Indian manufacturer/integrator that can make systems locally or at least have a certain percentage of the components made locally. This will push companies to get into some kind of manufacturing if they have to do business with Indian government. This, I see in the long term, is a step towards giving a boost to local manufacturing even though it’s going to assembly/integration as a first step, as all major components for lasers are normally imported.

Government labs such as IIT, CGCRI, and IISC are already developing different fiber lasers and other technologies. I am sure that with some private industries getting into partnerships, we may see manufacturing for laser or photonics components.

The Indian government’s push to encourage local manufacturing in 24 identified sectors (such as aerospace and defense, automotive and auto components, railways, biotechnology, and others) along with new technologies (such as additive and Industry 4.0) will give a further push for local manufacturing. The Defense Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 provides impetus to self-reliance in defense manufacturing under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat scheme. The government aims to achieve a turnover of $ 25 billion (including an export of $5 billion) in the aerospace and defense goods and services by 2025. The defense estimates potential contracts worth $ 57.2 billion for the domestic industry in the next 5–7 years (2025–2027). This will encourage more participation from startups and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in defense R&D in achieving the Atmanirbhar Bharat goal, and certainly lasers will be one of the key elements in the different production processes of defense equipment, from cutting, welding, and cladding to additive and others.

The Laser Industries Association of India (LIAI), founded in 2019, is a much-needed voice of the laser industry to put forth the issues faced by the Indian laser industry to government. With growing members every year, LIAI will have an active role to play in safeguarding and enhancing the domestic laser manufacturing and growth of the laser industry in the coming years in India.

The upcoming market is e-mobility, as the electric vehicle (EV) market in India is expected to be valued at $7 billion by 2025. Right now, the majority of the batteries for EVs are imported and assembled in India. The government is providing benefit under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Strong) Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) scheme for adoption of EVs and a $4.6 billion incentive for setting up battery manufacturing plants in India.

Globalisation, individualisations, digitalisation and increasing competition are putting press on the industry. In addition, increasing safety requirements and voluntary environmental commitments by the automotive industry have also contributed to the changes ahead. Laser cutters are used in a variety of applications in the automotive industry, including cutting plastic parts, fabricating metal components, and marking and engraving parts for identification and branding. High power CO2 lasers are predominantly used for the welding of automotive components, such as gears and transmission components, which require circular and annular welds and in tailored blank applications. Laser welding is predominantly used in automobile industries which would require engineering works to be carried out with high precision. Nowadays, lasers are used for high-volume laser welding, laser marking of components, and also additive manufacturing using lasers.

Laser welding has hit the manufacturing mainstream in the past few years. From weld cells to handheld models, laser welding is creating efficiencies for OEMs and job shops. The technology - which offers high-quality welds, fast production speeds, and reduced post-weld processing - is drawing more interest from fabricators. The laser technology, meanwhile, continues to get more sophisticated. 

CnC’s products provide sustainability benefits as laser technology is economic & environment-friendly. This ensures the best protection for the health of operators, reduces the environmental impact of various processes, and avoids generating special waste, thereby saving costs associated with waste disposal. Laser technology offers benefits such as:

Increases business efficiency and competitiveness: Laser technology reduces work time and increases production efficiency, enabling companies and laboratories to achieve extremely precise results with minimal resource investment. The use of laser equipment saves money by optimizing energy use and reducing the time required to complete various processes, thereby improving the performance of individual collaborators.

Reduces waste: Laser welding does not require the use of filler material, while laser marking minimises waste and optimises the use of raw materials. This aspect can be particularly significant for companies that need to mark large quantities of products made from precious materials such as gold or platinum.

Economic & environmentally friendly: Laser marking or welding activities do not require the use of potentially harmful substances for humans and the environment. No industrial laser type involves the use of inks, solvents, or other hazardous chemicals

Promotes business growth: Companies and laboratories that choose to adopt laser technology are on a safe path to expand the range of services offered to their customers, reduce the need for highly skilled labour, increase business turnover and increase profitability.

Gas lasers have been largely replaced by solid-state laser technology, making virtually any desirable visible light wavelength available for flow cytometry. Multi-wavelength, white light, and wavelength tunable lasers are poised to enhance our analytical capabilities even further. Their potential areas of application are virtually endless. Quantum technology will play a key role in numerous different areas, from novel sensor systems for medicine and autonomous driving to new types of data encryption to new microscopes and equipment that we can't even imagine yet!

C. And C. Laser Engineering will very soon have a much larger allotment of funds for repair and servicing of lasers here in India. In addition, CnC plans to start the manufacturing of fiber and CO2 lasers in India.