Schunk Group Acquires Majority Stake in Pulsar Photonics

The Schunk Group, a technology company that supplies products made of high-tech materials, as well as machines and systems, will acquire a majority stake in Pulsar Photonics. Based in Herzogenrath near Aachen, Pulsar Photonics is focused on laser micromachining, particularly ultrashort-pulse laser technology. It develops and produces machines and systems for materials processing with short- and ultrashort-pulse lasers. These solutions include systems to increase process speed — for example, through beam shaping or multibeam processing — as well as machine-integrated measurement technology to ensure consistent process results.

Pulsar Photonics has approximately 40 employees. It was founded in 2013 as a spinoff from Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (Fraunhofer ILT).

The acquisition marks an entry into the laser technology field for Schunk. Its existing brands include Weiss Technik, Climats, Cincinnati Sub-Zero, and OptoTech, which the group acquired in 2018.

Details of the transaction were not disclosed.

“The integration of ultrashort-pulse laser technology now opens up completely new possibilities in our business with machines and systems for the optical industry in the processing of optical components with the highest precision and quality,” said Peter Manolopoulos, a member of the management board of the Schunk Group. “In addition, ultrashort-pulse lasers could also be used to process Schunk’s high-tech materials, such as technical ceramics or graphite, in novel ways, opening up new application possibilities.”