Laser industry expert Silke Pflueger will be a keynote speaker at the Laser Institute of America’s third annual Lasers for Manufacturing Event (LME 2013), which will be held Sept. 11-12 at the Schaumburg Convention Center. Pflueger, general manager of the Los Gatos, Calif.-based US division of DirectPhotonics and a Laser Institute of America (LIA) board member, will address the applications and impact of ultrahigh-brightness direct diodes. She also has served as general manager of ULO Optics, as director of marketing and sales for Laserline, and as sales director for SPI Lasers. “New ultrahigh- brightness diodes, enabled by advances in semiconductor and packaging technology, are well on their way to becoming the new standard lasers in the 1-µm-wavelength range,” Pflueger said. “With a good enough brightness to tackle most common metal manufacturing jobs, it will ultimately be their efficiency that will turn them into the leading lasers in the market.” LIA Executive Director Peter Baker said the event is designed for manufacturers who “understand that they need to use lasers to upgrade their processes to ensure that they remain competitive in today’s economy.” However, with keynote presentations, free educational sessions and laser technology showcases, the event is meant for anyone involved in laser technology. The exhibit space will house laser providers, systems integrators and industry experts, who will share their experiences and information with the goal of showing how lasers can be used profitably in industries such as aerospace, automotive, defense, energy and health care. Pflueger’s address will be one of four 30-minute keynotes in the Laser Technology Showcase Theater. Other industry luminaries will update attendees on the power of ultrafast lasers, additive manufacturing, 3-D printing, and the industrial laser market. The education track also will feature basic courses addressing laser safety, manufacturing lasers, design, and economic considerations when putting together a system for applications. For more information, visit www.lia.org