Auto Manufacturing:

Herbert Kaplan

Despite its reputation as being conservative about adopting new technologies, the automotive industry has a firm grasp of photonics, and it actively encourages developments that can improve its bottom line. It's not a great stretch of the imagination to guess that photonics touched most, if not all, of the 62.7 million vehicles produced in the US in the first six months of 1997.
Lasers cut parts and welding them together, and various photonic inspection devices assure that they meet specifications before they reach the street. Some of these applications are well-entrenched and others just beginning, but all offer a significant opportunity for photonics manufacturers who are willing to work with their customers to develop solutions...