Auto Parts Supplier Orders IPG Fiber Lasers

IPG Photonics Corp. announced today it has received an order from an automotive parts supplier for 10 1000-watt fiber lasers used to cut hydroform parts. The supplier selected IPG's lasers, after a year of production testing, to replace the diode-pumped crystal rod lasers it previously used, IPG photonics said. The units are expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2007. Hydroform parts, shaped by ultrahigh-pressure water, are used as structural components in trucks and SUVs and provide advantages over alternatives such as stamping and welding, IPG said.