Dr. Habedank was recognized for his publication on laser structuring for lithium-ion battery electrodes

Monday's Laser Manufacturing plenary session, one of the opening sessions of the World Congress on Laser Photonics at the International Congress Center in Munich, considered a range of topics such as more precise controlled processes in laser material processing, the potential for "dynamic" beam shaping, and highlights from the broader LiM 2023 conference track.

The Chair of the conference, Professor Christoph Leyens, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Materials and Beam Technology (IWS) in Dresden, explained that this year's programme covers three main themes: laser material processing at micro and macro levels and additive manufacturing.

He commented: "Interestingly, this time there were a lot of presentations on the topic of process control, meaning digital network processes and process chains that are easy to control. The range of materials is also larger, including laser processing of transparent materials, semiconductors and ceramics."

Considering LiM's technology trends, Professor Leyens said: "Laser power is becoming cheaper and cheaper due to technological advances and increased international competition - I'm talking a few thousand euros per kilowatt, not ten thousand euros."

He added: "Another noteworthy trend is the use of green and blue lasers. Their wavelength is particularly suitable for processing copper, which is important for a growing number of industries in the electrification process."

World LT Award

Before the plenary session begins, Dr. Ludger Overmeyer, President of the German Scientific Laser Society (WLT), awarded this year's WLT award to Dr. Jan Bernd Habedank, Head of technical competence at Raylase in Munich.

Dr. Habedank was recognized for his doctoral thesis at the Institute of Machine Tools and Business Administration at the Technical University of Munich on laser structuring of lithium-ion battery electrodes, which could significantly improve the performance of such batteries. He also received a check for 5,000 euros.

Dr. Habedank then revisited his paper, entitled "Laser Structuring of Graphite anodes for functionally Enhanced lithium-ion batteries."

He told the audience: "Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere today, they are the workhorse of the 21st century. At the heart of every lithium battery is a battery, with the anode and cathode separated by a diaphragm. The problem with ion transport is that the anode's structure is quite complex."

The idea is to use pulsed lasers to create what Dr Haberdank calls "ionic shortcuts" inside the battery. His research idea has an analogy for a football stadium: "Corridors are necessary to enable spectators to optimally fill the stadium, which is equivalent to achieving ideal ionic motion," he says.

"In the cell, these ion channels are created by laser processing." His group's research includes electrochemical research; Modeling and simulation; As well as production-related stages, including accelerated electrolyte wetting and amplification of the laser structure.

"Ultimately, this approach could improve the discharge capacity of lithium batteries, reduce adverse internal lithium coatings, reduce the risk of explosion, and improve the current of lithium batteries," he said.

Other keynote speeches at the LiM conference were delivered by experts from industry and research fields. Dr. Maria Farsari, Research Director at the Institute of Electronic Structures and Lasers at YIL-Forth, Greece, presented the latest research from her team, which specializes in nonlinear lithography and the possibilities of 3D micro - and nano-printing.

Valeria Tirelli discusses the potential of additive processes for manufacturing highly complex hydraulic components. She is the CEO of AidroHydraulics & 3D Printing, an Italian company with extensive experience in the field.

Source: Laser Network