360° Digitisation at Pulsar Photonics

• New impulses for a comprehensive digital strategy
• Digital assistance systems support assembly planning and machine assembly on the shop floor

Herzogenrath, April 6, 2023: Pulsar Photonics, the laser technology specialist from Herzogenrath, is making strategic investments in the digitalisation of the company. The investments include IT hardware, database technologies, assembly and ERP systems as well as software tools for process automation.
Dr. Joachim Ryll, one of the managing directors of Pulsar Photonics: “For 2023, we have set ourselves the goal of carrying digitalisation strategically deep into all business areas and fields of activity”.

Digital Assistance – DiPAS

For the production of RDX laser machines, Pulsar Photonics has had the Digital Production Assistance System (DIPAS) at its disposal for a short time. The core task of the system is to provide the best possible support for assembly personnel in plant construction. For example, CAD files and assembly instructions can be called up spontaneously directly at the assembly station, and complications and functional tests can be documented. The assembly and commissioning of a laser machine requires complex processes in goods logistics and the timely and correct provision of information required for the performance of activities and tests. The system was developed in collaboration with the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL) of RWTH Aachen University, introduced into Pulsar Photonics’ plant construction in 2023 and is currently in the practical application phase.

The first practical tests have shown that the intuitive digital tool proves to be particularly beneficial and efficient. In order to obtain a first complete set of data, the system is currently being practically tested in the assembly of an RDX2Fiber laser machine for the company’s own laser application centre.

Picture 1/2: DiPAS is installed on a standard digital flipchart directly at the assembly site. Great importance was attached to the greatest possible ease of use: this includes, in particular, legibility, stylus-free touch operation (even with gloves), clear navigation and the shortest possible response times. ©Pulsar Photonics GmbH.

Towards Industry 4.0: Digital in all business areas

Dr. Joachim Ryll, Managing Director of Pulsar Photonics GmbH, describes the goal for this year: “Digitisation projects have not only been on the agenda for Pulsar Photonics since the Corona pandemic. We have resolved to carry digitisation strategically deep into all business areas and fields of activity. And this all-round approach – 360° digitisation, so to speak – must lead to better support for all of us in the company and better scaling overall.”

For Pulsar Photonics, this means in concrete terms that the company will deal both with future tasks in development projects, for example, and with the integration of existing project data. “The interfaces to partners, customers and suppliers are always expandable,” says Joachim Ryll. The focus is currently on the following points in particular:

• User acceptance and Usability
• Interfaces and data management
• High-performance standard solutions and support
• integrated error management and conservation of resources

The digital strategy also affects the service area. Esther Silberkuhl, Head of Service and Quality Management at Pulsar Photonics GmbH, says: “With the AR systems introduced, our customers and employees have a visual direct connection for the field and extended office service at their own locations at their disposal. It is now much easier to integrate employees with specialised knowledge in the back office and to offer professional as well as complex support from remote mode. As a result, our customers benefit from more comprehensive and faster support!”

Picture 3/4: Fast, remote, efficient: The augmented reality function provides support with the direct image channel and is used in communication between project management and assembly personnel or as 3rd level support for tasks in the field service. ©Pulsar Photonics GmbH.

Picture 5: View into the machining area with process head for laser microdrilling. The P1000automatic laser machine is designed for the production of more than one hundred thousand components per day with an integrated 100% component inspection and fully automatic, interlinked component handling. ©Pulsar Photonics GmbH.

Pulsar Photonics

Pulsar Photonics GmbH is an innovative high-tech company in laser technology. The company’s range of services includes laser process technology, plant engineering with software development and the laser systems technology division.

Since its foundation, the company has been intensively involved with scaling approaches for production. For customers, services ranging from professional application development and ramp-up to the construction of automatic production machines with service and know-how transfer are offered exclusively. Pulsar Photonics is continuously investing in its own production capacities for single-part and series production with (ultra) short-pulse lasers. Core processes are structuring, drilling and precision cutting.

Pulsar Photonics GmbH has its headquarters in Aachen-Herzogenrath and operates two further plants in Aachen-Verlautenheide. The company was founded in 2013 as a spin-off of the Fraunhofer ILT in Aachen and financed in the growth phase by the high-tech start-up fund HTGF, Bonn. Pulsar Photonics has been part of the Schunk Group since 2021.
With more than 70 employees today, the fast-growing and profitable company belongs to the German SME sector and is part of the LaserRegionAachen structural change initiative.

Schunk Group

The Schunk Group is a global technology group. The company is a leading supplier of products made of high-tech materials – such as carbon, technical ceramics and sintered metal – as well as machines and systems – from environmental simulation to air conditioning technology and ultrasonic welding to optics machines. The Schunk Group has around 9,000 employees in 29 countries and generated a turnover of around 1.2 billion euros in 2020.

More information www.pulsar-photonics.de/en/ and www.schunk-group.com.

Pictures to Press Release (Download)

Contact Person
Dr. Joachim Ryll
Managing Partner
Phone: 02407 55 555 – 22
E-Mail: ryll@pulsar-photonics.de
Pulsar Photonics GmbH
Kaiserstraße 100
52134 Herzogenrath
Website: www.pulsar-photonics.de/en/

Press Contact
Sonja Wichert
Phone: 02407 55 555 – 11
E-Mail: info@pulsar-photonics.de
Pulsar Photonics GmbH
Kaiserstraße 100
52134 Herzogenrath
Website: www.pulsar-photonics.de/en/