The Laser Institute of America (LIA) will hold its inaugural Lasers for Manufacturing Event (LME) on Sept. 27 and 28 in Chicago. In order to help US manufacturers to modernize and upgrade their technology and be competitive in the global economy, the Event is designed to fill a gap by providing designers and manufacturers everything they need to understand lasers and laser systems and how to employ them effectively and profitably. The Event provides basic training on lasers and systems, courses on laser processes including welding and laser additive manufacturing, videos on laser processing and examples of parts made by lasers. The world’s leading laser and system manufacturers will exhibit at the event and will have laser manufactured parts on their booths, and experts there to explain the features to attendees. A special feature of the event will be 10, 15 and 20 minute presentations by exhibitors on the advantages of their technology in a theater directly on the show floor. “No longer will manufacturing technologists seeking laser knowledge and technology have to comb through a large, traditional machining show searching for laser manufacturing,” said Peter Baker, executive director at LIA. “At LME, all of the exhibitors will be laser and system manufacturers and all of the attendees will be manufacturing people who want to use and learn to use lasers.” “If you want to learn what a laser can do, how much it costs, how to justify the purchase, this is the go-to source. We want the novice user and the experienced user to learn the practical applications made possible by lasers,” said Jim Naugle, LIA’s marketing director. For more information, visit: www.laserinstitute.org