Honour for IWS scientist Dr. Matthias Lütke - WLT award for his outstanding achievements in the field of laser technology

Press release (Nr. XXI) /

Dr. Matthias Lütke from the Fraunhofer IWS Dresden received the annual prize of the Wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft für Lasertechnik e. V. (WLT - German Scientific Laser Society). He was honoured for the development of a Remote laser cutting technique, a procedure, which caused a world-wide appreciation and sensation.

From the left: Professor Schmidt (Chair of Photonic Technologies), Professor Vollertsen (treasure of WLT), Dr. Lütke (lauderate), Professor Zäh (president of WLT)
© Fraunhofer IWS Dresden
From the left: Professor Schmidt (Chair of Photonic Technologies), Professor Vollertsen (treasure of WLT), Dr. Lütke (lauderate), Professor Zäh (president of WLT)

Dr. Lütke’s awarding took place within the WLT Award Ceremony & Plenary Session of the Lane 2012 - Conference on Photonic Technologies in Fürth on November 13, 2012. Professor Zäh (President of WLT), Professor Vollertsen (treasurer of WLT) and Professor Schmidt (Chair of Photonic Technologies) handed over the prize.

The Remote laser cutting technique is a sublimation cutting procedure, which does not need any additional cutting gas assistance. Even in the case of metal cutting, extremely high cutting velocities can be achieved (up to 800 meters per minute). Dr. Lütke utilizes the high laser performance of the new laser generation with brilliant beam characteristics to achieve utmost short interaction times by using extremely high processing speeds.

The Remote cutting technique is a very promising alternative for the cutting of those components, which hitherto could only be manufactured by stamping procedures (e.g. motor gaskets or electrodes for lithium-ion cells)

Dr. Lütke studied mechanical engineering at the Technische Universität Dresden from 2001 to 2006. The technique mentioned above, has been developed by him when he worked as a research associate in the department for Laser and Surface Technology of the Technische Universität Dresden and later at the Fraunhofer IWS Dresden. He completed his PHD study with »summa cum laude«. Since 2012 Dr. Lütke has run the laser cutting team.

The WLT award is annually presented for outstanding achievements in the field of applied laser research. The German Scientific Laser Society (WLT) aims at scientific and technical issues of laser technology. It focuses on the identification and support of strategic goals to enhance the laser radiation as a universally applicable tool. An additional motivation is to utilize laser radiation for new interdisciplinary application fields in optical technologies.