Build lasers with reduced complexity.

Scaling production without losing precision: Automation transforming the laser industry.

Ageing populations are set to put growing pressure on labour markets in Europe, with similar demographic pressures emerging in the US and China. As companies look to stay competitive with fewer workers, automation is becoming increasingly important for boosting productivity. Femtosecond laser company LITILIT says automation will allow it to manufacture 3,000 lasers a year with a team of just over 100 employees.

In a recent report, the European Commission warned that as Europe’s population shrinks and ages, labour market, healthcare, public finances and other sectors will be impacted. Similar aging trends are also visible in the US and China. The report points to automation, innovation and AI as part of the response.

For businesses, automation's benefit goes beyond easing the labour squeeze – it also significantly increases productivity. An August report(pdf) by the International Federation of Robotics found that automation can help smaller manufacturers reach productivity levels and competitive advantages that were previously available mainly to larger industrial companies.

Nikolajus Gavrilinas

According to Nikolajus Gavrilinas, co-founder and CEO of LITILIT, which recently started building a large-scale femtosecond laser facility in Vilnius, the laser industry is a clear example of how automation can help smaller businesses to scale. For LITILIT, it will allow the company to manufacture up to 3,000 femtosecond lasers a year, one of the highest capacities in the world, with just around 150 employees.

"Typically, building a femtosecond laser required highly trained specialists, because these advanced lasers evolved from scientific systems. While they deliver strong performance, they are notoriously difficult to produce at scale. We build ours on a patented, purpose-built architecture with fewer components, allowing us to significantly speed up production and reduce headcount," he says.

Another advantage of automation is making precision repeatable at scale. Femtosecond lasers require tiny optical components to be aligned with extreme accuracy, work traditionally done by highly trained specialists one unit at a time. Automation allows manufacturers to maintain that same level of precision across thousands of lasers while reducing variation between units.

Gavrilinas notes that automated manufacturing will also help LITILIT advance its goal of making femtosecond lasers scalable. The company is on track to finish its Vilnius factory this October and immediately begin production, gradually increasing capacity.

"Femtosecond lasers are used in fast-developing fields, from manufacturing the latest generation of semiconductors and data center equipment to performing complex eye surgeries. As demand for these advanced lasers grows, it would be very difficult to meet it using traditional methods, where complex assembly makes it difficult to scale output," Gavrilinas explains.

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