Fiber laser developer IPG Photonics Corp. has acquired Laser Depth Dynamics (LDD), a provider of in-process quality monitoring and control solutions for laser-based welding applications. LDD’s proprietary inline coherent imaging (ICI) technology is the first industrial solution to enable direct measurement of weld penetration depth with high precision and in real time by adding a near-infrared measurement beam to the welding head. ICI technology offers superior accuracy, speed and cost-performance, compared with today’s commonly-used indirect measurement techniques such as destructive sectioning. LDD’s solutions also support advanced monitoring features including seam tracking, height following and 3D volume imaging in a single tool. LDD’s flagship imaging systems can be integrated with leading welding head technologies including IPG’s revolutionary wobble welding heads, which provide unmatched process consistency and ultrahigh-power welding heads for deep penetration welding. “LDD’s weld monitoring systems and accessories significantly enhance IPG’s portfolio of industry-leading beam delivery products and laser welding solutions,” said Felix Stukalin, IPG’s senior vice president of North American operations. “LDD’s ability to monitor weld quality in real time and ensure process consistency is increasingly important within automated production environments. We believe this technology, when combined with IPG’s expanding portfolio of welding solutions, will help drive adoption of laser-based welding within the automotive, medical, consumer products and aerospace industries.” LDD has 16 employees, and its operation in Kingston, Ontario, Canada will become IPG’s new center of product development for weld monitoring solutions. While intending to expand the market for LDD’s products through IPG’s worldwide sales and support channels, IPG will support and honor all existing customer commitments. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.