A wide range of photonics products are used in the automotive industry, in applications such as additive manufacturing, metrology, laser marking. For example, Photon Lines offers specialised laser beam profilers which are used to optimise the performance of SLS (Selective laser sintering) systems, an additive manufacturing technique which allows powdered materials to be formed into complex 3d shapes.

Cameras covering thermal infrared region are also finding applications in the final inspection of electrical wiring looms within vehicles, for example. Modern vehicles are so dependent upon computers, electrical sensors etc, that there is a multitude of things can go wrong, and poor electrical connections can lead to many hours and a great deal of money being wasted in after sales warranty claims. Thermal cameras allow such errors to be located quickly and accurately, resulting in manufacturers’ reputation for quality being upheld. Photon Lines’ partner Telops lead the field in high speed thermal cameras, making them ideally suited for online inspection in fast moving production environments