Laser technology
Netherlands, 21st April 2010
I need to leave for the airport shortly to go on standby for my flight back to Singapore! Yeah! No idea if how it will work out, but if I am on the flight I won’t be back on line till tomorrow so better upload now! Wish me luck!
Yesterday I made the best of my extended stay in Europe by going to Germany (by car!) to visit the offices and manufacturing facilities of TARM Lasers, one of the leading laser companies in the world. We are planning to use lasers in a key landmark project. As this is not a technology I am very knowledgeable about, this was a very instructive visit which got me really excited. We talk about the enormous progress in architectural lighting (LED’s) but I can tell you, lasers also have come a long way and are developing at fast speed (literally).
By the way did you know that “laser” stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation? Laser light is generally a narrow wavelength electromagnetic spectrum of monochromatic light. However with today’s laser technology practically every imaginable color tone can be created, pretty much like LED’s. By using RGB laser modules the individual beams can be emitted simultaneously and mixed to the desired colour. I was amazed by the power and clarity of the colours.
The actual laser module is small, about the size of a pencil box and only needing a few watts, variations depending on the colour of laser beam. It is the electronics, scanner heads and cooling system that requires the space. While in the past big housings were required today’s modern technology has allowed the equipment to become smaller and smaller. The optic table as it is called is now only the size roughly of two crates of beer, with the total power consumption well below 1 KW per unit. The beams are incredibly powerful and the lighting effects really only limited by your imagination…I am excited to work with this medium of light.
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