light! 004 | The car of the future

light! 

by secpho 

THE CAR 

OF THE FUTURE 

ECOLOGICAL 

CONNECTED 

AUTONOMOUS 

SMART 

SHARED 

COMFORTABLE 

SAFE 

FLYING 

#004 · 2019 · €11.50

LIGHT! 004 | The vehicle of the future 

©2019 secpho 

Publishing 

secpho 

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Director 

Sergio Sáez 

Chief Editor 

Rosa M. Sánchez 

Art direction 

Carla Barceló 

Communication and advertising 

Andrea Sevilla 

Contents 

Volkswagen Navarre 

Nissan 

Álex Turpin · secpho 

Mikel Gómez · CEIT-IK4 

Creu Ibáñez · KDPOF 

Michele Manca · LEITAT 

Demetrio López · Alter Technology 

Rodrigo Linares · NIT 

Antonio Sánchez · ASORCAD 

Javier Bezares · BCB 

Ambroise Vandewynckèle, Patricia Blanco · AIMEN 

Mikel Bengoa · COHERENT | ROFIN 

Víctor Blanco · LASER 2000 

Marta Ávila · ALBA Synchrotron 

Translation 

Welocalize Life Sciences 

Dept. of Administration 

Mar Fernández 

Printer 

Novoprint 

Printed in Spain, June 2019 

Legal deposit: B-16984-2019 

ISSN 2604-9910 (digital edition) 

2 light! by secpho

Editorial 

We have dreamed up the vehicle of the future drawing on suggestions 

from both the small and large screen. In the 80s, we were excited to see 

how Michael Knight, star of Knight Rider, fought injustice by driving a 

high-tech car, the so-called KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand), whose 

artificial intelligence made this autonomous vehicle the ideal co-pilot. 

The batmobile also attracted our attention with aerodynamics that imitated 

nature (a bat) and enhanced its tremendous speeds. Nature was 

also the inspiration for the gull-wing doors of the DeLorean DMC-12; 

however, it wasn’t its design that fascinated us in Back to the Future, but 

its function as a time machine capable of disappearing in a shower of 

sparks and reappearing amidst blue flashes. 

Science fiction has shaped our collective imagination, so that the real 

revolution of the automotive industry seems to us to be represented by 

flying vehicles traveling through our city skies. And although the necessary 

technology already exists, regulation is the great obstacle for this 

innovation to be implemented; therefore the near future of this industry 

is aimed at providing efficient electric, autonomous and permanently 

connected cars. 

Whether it parks or lands, the vehicle of the future is intrinsically linked 

to photonics. So the development strategies of automotive companies 

now involve the use of increasingly advanced sensors that aid autonomous 

driving, sophisticated laser systems and vision cameras that improve 

production and highly evolved communication systems that constantly 

connect traffic and infrastructure, among other innovative light 

technologies. 

This new edition of light! will drive you to the door of Spain’s leading 

experts in photonics applied to the automotive industry. Let them steer 

you in the right direction. 

light! by secpho 3

Contents 

06 

OVERVIEW 

VOLKSWAGEN NAVARRE: Volkswagen Navarre 

is opting for the latest developments in 

machine vision. 

34 

SOLUTIONS FOR 

MANUFACTURING 

NIT: I3LASWELD ensures excellence in laser 

welding. 

08 

NISSAN: Nissan opens its innovation ecosystem 

to cooperate with all technological talent. 

36 

ASORCAD: 

portable. 

Smart manufacturing becomes 

10 

SECPHO: Photonic technologies drive the automotive 

industry towards a bright future. 

39 

BCB: Leading solutions in thermography, at 

the service of the Automotive Industry. 

18 

21 

24 

27 

DRIVING SUPPORT 

CEIT: Ultra-short pulse lasers for automotive 

applications. 

KDPOF: Japanese cars surrender to Spanish 

plastic optical fibre communication systems. 

LEITAT: Smart glass that adapts to solar intensity. 

ALTER TECHNOLOGY: Automotive electronic 

components: the solution in New Space? 

43 

46 

51 

54 

AIMEN: Developments demanded by the automotive 

industry. 

COHERENT | ROFIN: Innovative laser technology 

in electric car manufacturing. 

LASER 2000: High-power blue lasers, disruptive 

technology for the manufacture of the 

vehicle of the future. 

ALBA: The role of the Alba Synchrotron in automotive 

challenges. 

PHOTONIC EXPERT MAP 


OVERVIEW 

VOLKSWAGEN 

Volkswagen Navarra 

is opting for the latest 

developments in machine vision 

With an investment of 1.2 million euros, Volkswagen 

Navarre has launched an artificial vision tunnel with cutting-edge 

technology. Located in the Paint workshop, the 

new installation uses the images captured by 30 cameras 

and 300,000 leds of lighting distributed in four arcs to detect 

small irregularities in bodywork. The artificial vision 

tunnel is a pioneer facility for Volkswagen. 

All bodywork manufactured and painted in Volkswagen 

Navarre passes through the new installation, which is 9.5 

metres long, 4.1 metres tall and 4.4 metres wide. Each is 

examined for 18 seconds inside the artificial vision tunnel, 

where 5,400 photographs are obtained. 

"With the use of powerful mathematical algorithms, the 

computer searches the images obtained for possible 

imperfections in the reflection of light, which would be 

imperfections on the bodywork", explains Amaya Novoa 

Grijalbo, of Paint Planning at Volkswagen Navarre. 

Thanks to this new detection system, able to appreciate 

details such as a drop of water or a fingerprint, paint polishing 

operators can see the detected imperfections on 

a screen, spending less time on their detection and thus 

reducing visual fatigue, which tends to increase with the 

consecutive passage of light coloured car bodies. 

In the last six months, this commitment of Volkswagen 

Navarre to ongoing improvement and quality in the painting 

process has focused on adjusting all the detection 

parameters to the maximum, correctly defining the irregularities 

the system has to show. "This work requires periods 

of adjustment, but it is necessary to ensure that the 

tunnel is as efficient as possible," adds Novoa. 

Francisco Rodríguez Funes, Paint Manager, explains that 

"the artificial vision tunnel allows us to increase the quality 

and capacity of the workshop, and also provides an 

opportunity to improve prior processes, as it provides us 

with a large quantity of information". 

6 LIGHT! by secpho 

From left to right, in front of the artificial vision tunnel, Francisco 

Rodríguez Funes, Paint Manager; Amaya Novoa Grijalbo, Paint Planning; 

and Luis Bacaicoa Fernández, head of Production 6 metres 

Painting.

Volkswagen Polo bodywork on its way 

through the artificial vision tunnel installed 

in the Paint workshop. 

LIGHT! by secpho 7

Nissan opens its innovation ecosystem to 

cooperate with technological talent 

Nissan Barcelona is opening its innovation ecosystem to 

multiple external agents. The company is currently collaborating 

with more than 230 agents –startups, universities, 

technology centres, clusters and investors, among others,– 

in its industrial operations in Barcelona. This innovation 

programme is in line with the Nissan Europe strategy, at the 

centre of which is the Nissan Europe Innovation Lab in Paris. 

This ecosystem of open innovation and permanent search 

for talent is part of Nissan's response to market demands and 

the challenges of the automotive industry. Nissan is tackling 

these challenges, not only from the perspective of marketing 

and sales, but also from the point of view of manufacturing, 

thereby covering the entire process. In this regard, some 

of the main aspects of Nissan's work at the Barcelona plant 

seek to respond to challenges such as autonomous driving, 

Collaborative robots, 3D printing or 

virtual reality are some of the solutions 

that Nissan uses to respond to the current 

challenges of the automotive industry. 

digital connectivity and the growing number of zero emission 

vehicles. Thus, the use of collaborative robots and 

3D printing for some processes, the use of automatic 

trolleys (Automated Guided Vehicles -AGV-) to move materials 

in its factories, virtual reality and integrated flow 

management are just some examples. 

The Nissan Barcelona innovation ecosystem is committed 

to a dynamic and continuously growing environment, 


About Nissan in Spain 

ready to connect with the most agile and disruptive talent 

interested in joining its open innovation strategy. 

The Nissan Intelligent Mobility vision is already a reality today 

through electric vehicles such as the e-NV200 100% electric 

van and the LEAF. This Nissan icon continues to be the best 

selling electric car in the world with more than 380,000 units 

sold since its global launch in 2010. This Intelligent Mobility 

is focused on the creation of renewable energy and energy 

storage solutions, as well as on the application of Network 

Connected Vehicle systems (Vehicle-to-Grid V2G). Undoubtedly, 

the company's commitment is to invest in new energy 

solutions to transform not only the way we drive, but also 

the way we live. 

Nissan has five production centres in Spain, in Barcelona, 

Ávila and Cantabria, where it manufactures 

the NV200 van, both the combustion engine and 

the electric version, which is the most sold in Europe, 

the Navara pick-up and the NT400/Cabstar 

lightweight truck. It also manufactures components 

for several plants of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi 

Alliance, has an R&D centre for all of Europe, 

a distribution hub and a spare parts centre. 

Barcelona hosts the commercial headquarters for 

Spain and Portugal, countries where Nissan leads 

electric mobility and the crossover segment, and 

has a network of more than 200 points of sale and 

after-sales covering the entire Iberian Peninsula. In 

Spain, Nissan employs 5,000 people. 


10 LIGHT! by SECPhO

SECPHO 

OVERVIEW 

Photonic technologies are driving 

the automotive industry 

towards a bright future 

Transportation was one of the great revolutions of the twentieth 

century, completely changing the way we move around 

our environment. Given the great impact that motor vehicles 

have had on our lives, the automotive industry has always 

used the latest technological advances to improve both 

the characteristics of vehicles (safety, comfort, connectivity, 

efficiency, etc.) and their production processes. Key in the 

development of large numbers of monitoring, image and metering 

devices, photonic technologies have become part of 

the new revolution in the automotive industry, from two 

very different perspectives: 1) improvement in the quality 

and monitoring of production processes and 2) the development 

and implementation of autonomous, clean and more 

comfortable vehicles for the driver and passengers. 

Regarding improvement of the production chain, photonics 

is in an advantageous position compared to other technologies 

in areas such as monitoring the quality of processes 

by means of both standard and 3D imaging systems, or the 

design and processing of materials by laser. On the other 

hand, one of the challenges in clean vehicles is to create propulsion 

systems based on new materials, and to improve the 

current systems for filtering vehicle particles based on fossil 

fuels; the use of light as a means of analysis is key in all these 

challenges. The industry is also moving in the direction of 

autonomous vehicles, and as smart as possible, for which 

they need to use advanced high-speed imaging and data 

processing systems. 

One of the photonic technologies most used in the automotive 

industry is laser, especially as a tool for processing 

materials, which affects the entire vehicle, both exterior 

and interior. In particular, one of the current trends is to use 

materials that are more lightweight, while still efficient and 

safe, and one of the most innovative approaches is the use 

of multi-material structures. The basic idea is to replace part 

of the metal compounds used in the production processes 

with lighter ones, while maintaining the resistance and reliability 

standards required by the industry, such as thermoplastic 

compounds based on carbon fibre. In this sense, the 

AIMEN technology centre is involved in the ComMunion project, 

using laser techniques for both the control and precise 

monitoring of material temperature, and for its high-speed 

cleaning and texturing. 

Progressing towards cleaner vehicles also requires more efficient 

manufacturing processes, in terms of energy, reliability 

and also speed of assembly. This is a perfect fit with the 

opportunities provided by laser technology. The problem is 

that metal materials absorb very little energy at wavelengths 

at which lasers have traditionally performed best (typically 

in the near infrared with a wavelength of λ≈1μm). However, 

there are some very attractive proposals for solving this 

problem, such as that carried out by Coherent-Rofin. With 

their FL-ARM system they have redesigned the laser beam 

profile to increase absorption of the material at these wavelengths 

by a controlled increase in its temperature. Another 

LIGHT! light! by by SECPhO secpho 11

current trend to improve the efficiency of laser welding of 

metal materials is the development of systems that operate 

at short wavelengths (below blue, λ≈0.45μm), where 

the absorption of energy in metals is high and cutting precision 

is also greater. In Spain, AIMEN and Laser 2000 are 

leading the use of such laser welding technologies for the 

automotive industry. Along these lines, also remarkable is 

defect monitoring and laser welding geometry based on 

high speed infrared cameras developed (and validated by 

leading companies in the automotive sector, such as Volvo) 

by New Infrared Technologies, in collaboration with AIMEN. 

Additive manufacturing (or 3D printing) is also one of the 

cross-sectional technologies that has had most applications 

in the automotive industry, where it has been used 

for a long time, especially in prototyping. Although chain 

production is not expected to be completely based on 3D 

manufacturing in the near future, the use of this technology 

is expected to explode in the next few years as a low 

cost solution for the design and chain production of small 

parts where precision is of the essence. In particular, laser 

metal deposition (LMD) is the standard method adopted by 

leading companies such as Volkswagen or Nissan, for both 

the development of prototypes and for chain production. 

In order to accelerate the implementation of this technology, 

AIMEN is carrying out the INTEGRADDE project, with 

which it intends to create a control system for the parts 

produced during the entire process. 

Despite all these advances in manufacturing processes 

and monitoring the quality of parts, there is always a percentage 

of error that may require additional monitoring 

during the manufacturing process. In the automotive sector, 

a large number of metals are used, which are treated 

by different heat processes that give them very particular 

properties. For this reason, any deviation from the expected 

temperature standards can ruin a whole part. Although 

all production processes are usually monitored by artificial 

vision, this does not precisely identify the temperature of 

the material. Thus, complementary techniques such as thermography 

(which analyses the temperature of a material 

at different points by remote measurement of the infrared 

radiation emitted) are making their way into the industry. 

This is where they have focused part of their efforts at bcb, 

where they have created a complete thermographic monitoring 

ecosystem, bcbMonitor. Alternatively, in many cases 

it is necessary to test manufactured parts in situ, which requires 

additional portability and flexibility. In the case of the 

automobile, it is not always easy to have a 3D measurement 

system that shows that parts have been manufactured 

without error. For this reason, portable, simple and reliable 

solutions are being sought that allow parts to be scanned 

in real time, which is what they have done at AsorCad with 

their portable 3D scanning laser system. 

Away from the assembly line, one of the great revolutions of 

the first half of the 21st century, not only in the automotive 

field but also in terms of technology and mobility in general, 

is expected to be the development of autonomous cars, capable 

of navigating without the active participation of the 

driver. This means that the cars of the near future must be 

equipped with smart vision that makes them capable of detecting 

and identifying all the objects that surround them. 

This implies the use of different types of sensors and vision 

systems, including 3D vision systems, where LiDAR (Light 

Detection and Ranging) has positioned itself as the best candidate 

to be "the eyes" of the cars of the future. In LiDAR, 

a pulsed laser scans the scene and, by measuring the time 

it takes for the light pulse to be reflected by the objects in 

the scene at different points, the 3D image can be reconstructed. 

This technology, combined with object identification 

algorithms, provides the possibility of autonomous and 


intelligent automobiles. However, LiDAR loses efficiency in 

conditions with bright environmental lighting and, in order 

to solve this problem, Beamagine have designed a LiDAR 

system capable of cancelling out ambient light, enabling it to 

operate at greater distances. In general, the LiDAR technology 

must be complemented with a large number of optical 

sensors that provide information about the distance to any 

obstacle, changing the tonality of the rear-view mirrors in 

high ambient light, adjusting the direction of headlights, etc. 

All these sensors will give rise to a very high flow of information, 

which must be transmitted at the fastest possible 

speed, as it is essential to ensure minimal reaction and decision-making 

times. The fastest physical means of communication 

available to date is fibre optic, however economic 

and resistant fibres are required so that it may be used by the 

automotive sector. This is precisely the objective of KDPOF, 

which has already positioned itself as a leader in the sector 

thanks to the IEEE and JASPAR certifications, which will 

enable its communication systems to be assembled in both 

Europe and Japan. 

The current trends in the automotive sector seek not only 

clean and autonomous vehicles, but also the creation of 

spaces where driver and passengers feel comfortable in all 

possible situations. One of the options that have been explored 

during recent years is to incorporate projection systems 

in windscreens, showing any alert, speed, route map, 

etc. so that the driver does not have to look away from the 

road. If we add to this a system for detection and classification 

of gestures, we could ensure that it is practically never 

necessary to take our hands off the steering wheel, thus increasing 

the safety of the vehicle. 

The lighting of the vehicle also plays a very important role in 

the comfort of passengers. Therefore, cars increasingly incorporate 

a greater variety of interior lighting systems that 

adapt to the requirements of passengers and outdoor lighting 

conditions. To achieve the most natural lighting possible, 

materials that precisely disseminate light are needed and, as 

an example, CEIT has been working on the design of materials 

by laser processing to generate zones with different 

lighting tonalities The Leitat Technological Centre seeks to 

control the amount of light entering the vehicle, through the 

design of smart windows that adapt their opacity to the exterior 

conditions and thus prevent the car from overheating. 

Finally, we must not forget that one of the main sources of 

innovation in the industry is the design, characterisation and 

testing of new materials. While many of the tests, such as 

mechanical or chemical tests, can be carried out in companies' 

own research centres, more precise and detailed tests 

require the use of cutting-edge technology. This is precisely 

what synchrotron light, such as that generated in the ALBA 

Synchrotron, provides, enabling the study of the behaviour 

of catalysts for contaminating gases or the structure of new 

materials, for example. 

These are some examples of the implementation of photonic 

technologies in the automotive sector, which represents 

10% of the GDP and 19% of total exports, and which has always 

been an area where Spain has been a leader in the sector, 

as the 2nd largest car manufacturer in Europe (source: 

InvestSpain). This, together with the key position of photonics 

in Spain, ensures a bright future for the photonic-automotive 

alliance in the coming years. 

In Spain, research centres and companies that are experts 

in photonics and are playing a vital role in the application of 

photonic solutions for the automotive industry can be found 

in the following areas: 


OVERVIEW 

SECPHO 

01 

02 

Innovative solutions for driving support 

Innovative solutions for manufacturing 

TRL 5- Technology validated in a relevant environment 

(relevant industrial environment in the case of 

key enabling technologies -KET-). 

The following table shows the position in the value chain 

(by TRL) of each of the experts, according to their capabilities 

and technologies applied to the four areas. The "S" has 

also been added to show that it is a service. 

In order to show the degree of maturity of the technologies 

and advances presented here, they have been assigned a 

value from 0 to 9 in accordance with their TRL (Technology 

Readiness Level): 

TRL 1 - Basic principles studied. 

TRL 6- Technology demonstrated in a relevant environment 

(relevant industrial environment in the case 

of key enabling technologies -KET-). 

TRL 7- Prototype demonstration in an operational environment. 

TRL 8- Complete, qualified system. 

TRL 9- Actual system tested in an operating environment 

(competitive manufacturing in the case of key 

enabling technologies -KET-). 

TRL 2- Technological concept formulated. 

TRL 3- Experimental proof of concept. 

TRL 4- Technology validated in the laboratory 

Álex Turpin 

Scientific Consultant 

AUTOMOTIVE 

SECTOR 

TECHNOLOGY READINESS LEVEL 

TRL1 TRL2 TRL3 TRL4 TRL5 TRL6 TRL7 TRL8 TRL9 

SERVICES 

DRIVING SUP- 

PORT 

ALBA 

INPHO- 

TECH 

ICFO 

CVC 

KDPOF 

INPHO- 

TECH 

IMASE- 

NIC 

CVC 

INPHO- 

TECH 

IMASE- 

NIC 

CEIT 

IMASENIC 

CVC 

INPHO- 

TECH 

IMASENIC 

GESTAMP 

CEIT 

BEAMAG- 

INE 

IMASENIC 

INPHO- 

TECH 

IMASENIC 

CEIT 

BEAMAGINE 

IMASENIC 

HAMAMATSU 

IBEROPTICS 

KDPOF 

VLC PHOTONICS 

PONTI 

ZABALA 

MICRORELLEUS 

ALTER 

TECHNOLOGY 

SOLUTIONS 

FOR 

MANUFACTUR- 

ING 

CO- 

HER- 

ENT | 

ROFIN 

CO- 

HER- 

ENT | 

ROFIN 

CO- 

HER- 

ENT | 

ROFIN 

INPHO- 

TECH 

CO- 

HER- 

ENT | 

ROFIN 

INPHO- 

TECH 

IMASE- 

NIC 

CEIT 

INPHO- 

TECH 

AIMEN 

COHER- 

ENT | 

ROFIN 

IMASE- 

NIC 

CEIT 

CVC 

COHER- 

ENT | 

ROFIN 

INPHO- 

TECH 

AIMEN 

ATRIA 

IMASENIC 

GESTAMP 

CEIT 

INPHO- 

TECH 

AIMEN 

COHER- 

ENT | 

ROFIN 

IMASENIC 

CEIT 

COHERENT | 

ROFIN 

IMASENIC 

BCB 

IBEROPTICS 

LASER 2000 

COHERENT | 

ROFIN 

AMS TECH- 

NOLOGIES 

AIMEN 

NIT 

VISIONA 

HAMAMATSU 

ASORCAD 

ASORCAD 

COHERENT | 

ROFIN 

MICRORELLEUS 

ZABALA 

PONTI 

ALTER 

TECHNOLOGY 

See detail on the map of photonic experts (page 57) 


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LIGHT! by SECPhO 15

Support 

for driving

DRIVING 

CEIT 

Ultrashort 

pulse lasers 

for automotive applications 

Many times great innovations happen in the smallest of 

details. Details that produce special comfort, that lead to 

a better interior or exterior finish or that reduce friction 

enough to save on fuel. One of the tools being implemented 

in industrial production processes (and also in the automobile) 

is the laser tool. 

These tools have been used for a long time for welding processes, 

but they are increasingly being used in other industrial 

applications: drilling and cutting of materials, surface 

thermal treatments, control of mechanical properties, joining 

dissimilar materials, etc. 

Within the wide variety of laser sources available on the 

market, the most modern are known as ultrashort or femtosecond 

pulse sources. The main characteristic of processes 

with ultrashort pulse is the almost zero thermal affectation. 

It is in the specific case of femtosecond pulses, which 

have a duration of around 10-15 seconds, that this characteristic 

manifests itself in all its potential. 

The energy emitted by the laser is transmitted in such a 

short space of time that it cannot be dissipated from the 

electron network through the atoms, thus producing a direct 

transition from solid state to gas, that is, sublimation 

without producing any thermal change in the rest of the 

material. 

The main result of this ultra-fast process is the ability to 

perform processes with a very high resolution that could 

only be dreamed of just a few years ago but is now available 

to end users: resolutions in the one micrometre range 

are achievable in most processes, falling to 0.2 in the case 

of superficial processes.

Ceit has been working on femtosecond lasers for more than 

ten years, and specialises in developing industrial applications 

that tap into the capabilities of these lasers. In terms 

of the automotive sector, here are two specific applications 

that we have developed: 

01 

Modification of plastic elements for the 

generation of lighting effects. Currently, ergonomics 

in the interior of automobiles is 

becoming a requirement for all new models that manufacturers 

launch on the market. As part of this drive for ergonomics, 

the interior lighting of the passenger compartment 

is a very demanded effect, since the aim is to adapt it to 

each type of driver, different exterior lighting (night vs. day) 

or even different areas inside the passenger compartment. 

In this respect, one of the effects most sought after by manufacturers 

is to illuminate the interior from the roof of the 

car with diffuse light, to generate a sense of comfort for all 

occupants without adversely affecting driving. This effect 

is achieved using light sources of different colours (usually 

LEDs) depending on the selected mode (night, day, sports, 

comfort, etc.), and projecting it through a sheet of transparent 

material that diffuses it to specific parts of the ceiling. 

In the case of wanting to project lights of different colours 

simultaneously, one of the problems that arises is the need 

to use different sheets and separate them to ensure that 

each colour is used just where it should and nowhere else. 

In a sector like the car industry where investments are always 

very tight, this can represent an unacceptable level of 

spending, yet the femtosecond laser can provide an economically 

viable solution. By managing to modify the interior 

of these sheets without affecting their structural integrity, 

it is possible to separate their different zones by forming internal 

barriers to introduce several colours simultaneously. 

Alternatively, instead of processing the sheet to generate 

barriers, arbitrary shapes can be generated and, since these 

are illuminated on contact with light, they can serve as ornamental 

motifs that change colour depending on the light 

source used. 

02 

Controlled micro/nanotexturing of injection 

moulds to generate patterns on their surface, 

which are transmitted to the final piece in the 

injection process. Different properties can thus be given to 

plastic end pieces, ranging from optical effects (ornamentation) 

to properties such as hydrophobicity or anti-fingerprint 

effects (oleophobicity). 

Iridisations produced by the micro/nanostructures generated in a 

mould insert processed with femtosecond lasers. 

These are just two examples that show the potential of 

the femtosecond laser and its application in the automotive 

sector. If we also consider that, once the initial 

investment is made, the expense in fungibles, masks and 

materials is almost nil, and that this technology respects 

the environment without needing chemicals or abrasives 

like other alternative technologies do, we believe that in 

the future ultrashort pulse lasers will play a leading role 

in manufacturing processes in which precision and quality 

are the key to innovation. 

Mikel Gómez 

Advanced Manufacturing Group Investigator, 

Powder metallurgy and Laser 


Optical Semiconductors for Automotive 

Applications 

Photodiodes & IR LED’s 

Rain & Sun Sensor 

3D Sensor 

Park Assist or 

Gesture Recognition 

Ambient Light Sensor 

Intelligent Headlights 

COMFORT & 

INTERIOR 

Si APD & Laser Diode 

LIDAR Scanner 

Ambient Light 

Sensor 

Dimming Mirrors 

Thermopiles 

C0 2 Detection 

SAFE & GREEN 

Thermopile Arrays 

Occupant Detection & 

Auto Climate Control 

Smart Sensor 

Proximity Switch 

including LEDs for HMI 

Hamamatsu offers a wide range of compact, flexible, 

and reliable optical sensors for: 

• Information Systems: Such as MOST25 & 150, Car-to-X communication, eg VICS 

• Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS): Head-up display (HUD), illumination/RGB colour sensors 

for automatic headlight control, automatic anti-glare mirrors, interior lighting control and rain sensing 

• Vehicle Safety Systems: Laser radar detection, steering/angle sensing and 3D time-of-flight imaging 

• Automatic Climate Control: Such as Sun load sensing 

• Driver Interface: Such as jog dials

KDPOF 

DRIVING 

Japanese cars surrender 

to Spanish plastic fibre optic 

communication systems 

The standard designed by KDPOF passes the strict tests of 

JASPAR, the organisation which includes companies such as 

Toyota, Honda and Nissan. 

POF 

Knowledge Development 

To identify future challenges for the automotive sector 

and look for possible solutions in order to standardise 

them and mitigate the impact of these problems. This is 

the goal of JASPAR (Japan Automotive Software Platform 

and Architecture), the Japanese organisation that represents 

more than 220 companies in the sector, among 

which are the main car manufacturers and suppliers, such as 

Toyota, Honda, Mazda and Nissan, among others. 

And it is precisely this platform that has just given a great 

boost to the Spanish company KDPOF (Knowledge Development 

for Plastic Optical Fibres), by passing strict operational 

performance tests with its patented communication 

system for the transmission and receipt of information at 

Gigabit speed. 

With the KD1053 integrated circuit, the Spanish company 

that was established in 2010 and just over two years 

ago became the Ethernet standard for plastic fibre optic 

according to the ETSI (European Telecommunications 

Standards Institute) and the IEEE (Institute of Electrical 

and Electronics Engineers), has taken a giant step 

in the automotive sector, especially in relation to 

the development of connected autonomous vehicles. 

This type of vehicle, which all makes are 

working on, requires an increase in sensors 

and connected devices, which is generating 

electromagnetic problems that hinder communications 

and cause serious inefficiencies. 

Plastic fibre optic systems come into play 

here: their use is fundamental to facilitating 

the connectivity of all of the car's digital elements. 

"The KDPOF optical network solution 

greatly improves the speed of automotive 


networks and has gone beyond the obsolete protocols of 

previous networks," said Hideki Goto, head of the Next 

Generation High-Speed Network working group at JAS- 

PAR and a group manager at Toyota. 

Goto points out that this technology is the "ideal" for future 

network infrastructures in vehicles, as it enables wiring 

that can be deployed along with electric wring, as it 

does not conduct electricity and, therefore, meets the prerequisites 

related to electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). 

Exam passed 

Among the numerous tests to which the plastic fibre optic 

solution of the Spanish company has been subjected, 

emission and immunity tests are included to guarantee 

that it will not disturb the environment with electromagnetic 

interference. Likewise, it has also passed different 

extreme temperature tests, referring both to the plastic 

fibre optic standard in the automotive sector and that of 

optical connectors pursuant to the ISO 21111-4CD standard. 

In addition, among the tests related to electromagnetic 

compatibility, JASPAR has carried out tests on radiated 

and conducted emissions (in order to check the disturbances 

that voltage and current can cause). 

Current injection (BCI) tests, and tests on immunity to radiated 

radio frequency fields have also been performed, 

as well as on electrostatic discharges (ESD) and transient 

pulses. 

The KD1053 solution has met all standards with a considerable 

margin. Thus, Hideki Goto is satisfied with the 

results of this project, because the main objective of JAS- 

PAR is "to generate an environment that allows the Japanese 

automotive sector to cooperate and further boost 

innovation". 

Already integrated in future models 

This acknowledgment by the Japanese motor vehicle sector 

is added to that of a giant, in this case a German multinational. 

In just over a year, the battery management systems 

of its hybrid and electric models will already have 

KDPOF plastic optical fibre for all its communications. 

The impulse of the plastic optical fibre from this Spanish 

company is more than type approved and proof of this, as 

Óscar Ciordia, its marketing manager, points out, is the 

fact that they are also working with other OEMs (original 

equipment manufacturers), for future launches, after 

2020. 

Creu Ibáñez 

Journalist 


L3CAM 

Reimagine lidar imaging 

Pio ari ca Sciptis. Fereto hosulibem tum ego uncupio, quitilius, vit. 

Ipimis auciis popoporen Video dium incla and mo verobse 3D vision ium tem re con Full ti in solid state system 

sesseder laturitidin diisqui solutions ditiacrum for ors aur. any kind with high resolution in 

of autonomous vehicle real time 

Decte eria culicideo, pata, o inatam furs et di iam. Fac 

tastrum eore cotis vehem ellabem. 

Geroraet obsenatus. Forumen ditimis prit Castis patum 

me nimunt. Tabesimum iu in tabut Catu esimus 

commora? Nam o erte rem dit. Locaetra? Nihilis et vicum 

intimmo vit, cultodi, norum interit num fuit. 

Icips, quiu sestra eti, simus, omant? Aximum essi se, 

nes horum opublium pere et que faudam inu vid ia 

vicio vit, quam ent, am prae puliis me num que niquam 

re facteritius fur. Hui int. 

Ovemus. Cupplic ienteriame moereis facervi veribemurem. 

Fuit. Gilissuli cast a vatis cae te facris los, quosses 

terfirm ilistrei se aturs reis ve, ne interis ad clut 

furidemo itus, nostant, C. Castrist quiu sendiur quo 

vidertene con tifectorem cenimus, in sederem ignocati 

consulin ne que consus, nonsule simisquost vemustre 

coni sa Serudes, me nihi, quidenihi, Catimur, untis hilium 

acchilia videndeliis vis. Graed furenat iliceret cer 

iam medelin pra atereis vividet iace peri, ur a vis C. Fuiur, 

teres hebatuus opone cam 

Hit faciaspit hil minum ut exeriorit, nihit fugias eatempo ritatibus milit ut et ma qui delitior sequatus am faccaepratur 

min enis sim quos si a sectas exped eatem quae dem iditi deritib ustius volupiendame num reprovid 

quamus exped quunte et omnis conet expliquam, sinctorere mi, consedi ut et ommoluptae doluptat. 

Perferissim num hilluptate voluptat veliqui tem faceatur, sumquodit volupid endamusa vendebitatin remolup ientibe 

aruntia ant intias atiae voloreium voles sequide rchicima quostio expernatur, to is dipiend elicabores atem 

eum hillabo. Nam veligen ihiliatianis mi, ulpa et harum aliquis ciamet faccupis rerum, que veliquam volest volorem 

fugia seque modis aut ute rerit ut voluptatem quidebi sincto magnimodio. Olore vendernatur? 

Contact Voluptae for details: comnimo luptati dempores ut quid quid enis atur, ipit, quatis necusaerum haribus trumquam sam sus 

info@beamagine.com 

www.beamagine.com 

+34 659 706 005 

LIGHT! by SECPhO 23 

+34 648 773 478

DRIVING 

LEITAT 

Smart glass 

that adapts to solar radiation 

Vehicle designers consider it an essential 

requirement to ensure an 

adequate level of comfort inside the 

passenger compartment. For this 

purpose, thermal and visual comfort 

conditions are particularly relevant. A 

clear example is the unpleasant situation 

when getting into a vehicle that 

has been parked in the sun for a few 

hours; or also, the effect of glare in 

low light conditions. The market provides 

glass for cars that is designed as 

a compromise between extreme climates, 

but that is unable to regulate 

light and heat intensity in particular 

cases. 

This problem can be solved thanks to 

the implementation of a new generation 

of intelligent glass able to automatically 

adapt to weather conditions 

and regulate the intensity of the solar 

radiation that reaches the interior. 

This glass, technically called "plasmochromic", 

is based on the use of a new 

technology that enables constant regulation 

of the visible and thermal radiation 

passing through the glass, after 

the application of a small electrical 

potential. 

These two magnitudes (visible and 

infrared light) directly affect energy 

consumption inside the vehicle and 

the comfort of the occupants. This 

new plasmochromic technology is 

based on the use of intelligent nanomaterials 

that selectively filter the 

intensity of incident radiation after 

being interconnected with a sensor 

system that constantly determines 

solar radiation values, maximising 

comfort and minimising energy expenditure. 

It is thus possible to regulate 

the intensity of thermal radiation 

by letting the heat carried by the sun's 

rays in winter pass through and rejecting 

it in the summer without compromising 

the transparency of the glass. 

This functionality is an absolute novelty 

in the field of smart window technologies, 

considering that infrared radiation 

accounts for 53% of the energy transmitted 

by solar rays. 

Researchers at the LEITAT Technological 

Centre, in collaboration with Istituto 

Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), are working 

on the development of this technology 

in the framework of the SUNDANCING 

project, with the support of the Regional 

Government of Catalonia's Agency 

for the Business Competitiveness (AC- 

CIÓ). The objective is to develop interfacial 

dynamic glass prototypes with IoT 

digital control systems. In the not so 

distant future, cars will have glass capable 

of recording the changing physiological 

demands of drivers in real time 

and smartly adapting to prevent and reduce 

distractions and accidents. 

Michele Manca 

LEITAT Technological Centre 

Energy & Engineering Department 

"Plasmochromic" glass prototype 

made by LEITAT and IIT researchers 


Connecting Global Competence 

THE LEADING LIGHT 

SEE YOU AT WORLD OF 

PHOTONICS CONGRESS 2019 

Contact: FIRAMUNICH, S. L. 

Tel. +34 93 488 1720 

info@fi ramunich.com 

JUNE 23–27, 2019, MESSE MÜNCHEN 

24th International Congress on Photonics in Europe— 

collocated with LASER World of PHOTONICS 2019 

photonics-congress.com

ALTER TECHNOLOGY 

DRIVING 

Electronic 

components for motor vehicles: 

the solution in New Space? 

The space industry is becoming an increasingly competitive 

sector, requiring systems with better performance at a 

lower cost. This is particularly applicable to small satellites 

and what is now known as New Space. This trend has consequences 

at all levels of the production chain, including 

the selection, acquisition and verification of the electronic 

components used. 

The certified components available for space applications 

are not able to meet the needs of current missions, either 

because of their cost or because of their limited availability, 

lack of new functionalities, degree of miniaturisation, 

etc. This is especially true for optoelectronic devices for 

which there is no space-qualified component, when photonic 

technologies are a clear driver of the new generation 

of space systems. 

Optoelectronic devices (LEDs, photodetectors, fibre optics, 

etc.) have not only begun to be used recurrently in space, 

but also classic components (such as solar sensors, CMOS 

cameras, etc.) are becoming key elements for success of 

various instruments and missions. 

There are well-known advantages to using these photonic 

technologies in space, such as the limited generation of 

noise, electromagnetic immunity, mass reduction, greater 

bandwidth and great ability to multiplex signals, enabling a 

high volume of data transmission, etc. Undoubtedly, all this 

makes its use very attractive. However, we must first overcome 

the lack of availability of these qualified components 

for this sector. 

ALTER TECHNOLOGY GROUP has developed extensive 

experience and knowledge in the encapsulation 

and verification of opto-electronic devices, 

covering the full range of technologies and devices, 

such as: 

• Laser & LEDs 250 to 5000 nm 

• Recipient modules (180 to 11000 nm) 

• Amplifiers and optical modulators 

• Switches and dividers 

• Optocouplers and photodiodes 

• Multimode and single mode optic fibres 

• Liquid crystal devices 

• Image sensors 

• Optical transceivers 

• MOEMS 

Likewise, electronic components designed for other industrial 

applications, such as the car industry, are beginning 

to show high levels of reliability when they are 

produced in large volumes and when they are subject 

to dedicated rating schemes (e.g. AEC Q), and their use 

could be a solution to the problems described above for 

the space sector. However, there is still a significant distance 

between space requirements and the potential reliable 

use of parts not designed for this sector. 

The AEC (www.aecouncil.com) was created in the nineties, 

as a result of several discussions among leading automotive 

manufacturers: DELCO Electronics, Chrysler, 


Ford, etc. Its impetus was mainly due to the difficulties they 

faced in obtaining certified electronic parts to meet the 

needs of their sector, with the aim of achieving a common 

certification scheme. With these considerations in mind, 

the AEC Q100 standard (Qualification test for integrated 

circuits) was developed, which today involves more than 

twenty recognised automotive equipment suppliers and 

more than thirty electronic component manufacturers. 

The qualification flow that was designed is robust and 

covers the types of degradation mechanisms attributable 

to components during a standard automotive application. 

However, if we compare these requirements with the standards 

used in Europe for space, the ESCC system (www. 

escies.org/specfamily/View), there are not only some differences 

associated with the test flows and sample sizes used, 

but also some key differential elements: 

The "third party" function is missing to manage and 

monitor the rating process. The ratings in the ECSS 

system are maintained by ESA and several European 

space agencies, while the AEC rating is conducted directly 

by the component manufacturers themselves, 

there is no external entity to review it. 

After completing the first AEC qualification, validity 

is indefinite with no periodic testing required, while 

ESCC qualifications require a maintenance process 

and the need to perform a significant number of periodic 

tests, every two years. 

The AEC system lacks detailed specifications for each 

product, as defined and understood in other specification 

systems (ESCC, MIL, etc.), which include detailed 

conditions for the performance of each test, 

failure criteria, etc. 

In the automotive sector, manufacturers have a high 

degree of freedom to change their processes and 

perform requalification, which does not happen in 

the space sector. 

Batch concept: the degree of homogeneity and management 

requirements are more relaxed, while batch 

definition in the ESCC system is very strict, detailed 

requirements are applicable to the use of raw materials: 

the origin of wafers, encapsulated batches, manufacturing 

and testing, etc. 


ALTER TECHNOLOGY 

DRIVING 

Characterising anti-radiation behaviour, both response 

to gamma radiation (TID) and single event effects (SEE) 

or displacement damage (DD). 

Integrity in vacuum conditions and degassing characteristics. 

The need to have broader operating temperature ranges, 

integrity to thermal cycles, etc. 

It does not consider the use of prohibited materials in 

space; for example, pure tin, which in certain conditions 

can produce tin filaments, a mechanism of failure 

known to produce short circuits. 

We must emphasise the importance of knowing all fundamental 

failure modes that can be suffered by automotive 

parts during a space mission, including all pertinent aspects 

in the test plan, from a radiation test, to the verification 

of degassing levels, or the possible presence of prohibited 

materials, using appropriate inspection techniques: electrical 

measurements, X-ray inspection, acoustic verification 

(CSAM), electronic microscopy (SEM), EDAX, X-ray fluorescence, 

etc. 

It should be considered that activities on a component level 

must be complemented by and connected with other actions 

that influence the reliability of the final equipment, from the 

design itself (introduction of redundancies, etc.), to the tests 

carried out at higher levels of integration. 

The added value of all these processes is based on adequate 

engineering work, an in-depth knowledge of the technologies 

to be evaluated, together with experience and access 

to the necessary test methods and inspection techniques. 

Once the batch has passed the planned research and test 

activities, it is deemed trustworthy for use in the application. 

On the other hand, the normal way to acquire parts within 

the automotive sector is with the use of a PPAP (Production 

Part Approval Process). The PPAP is a valuable tool for trusting 

component suppliers and their production processes, 

but it requires orders of large quantities of parts, larger than 

those needed in the space sector, even considering the new 

needs of the mega-constellation of satellites. 

(Top image) Summary of the measurement bank. 

(Image below) Detail of an internal visual inspection of a semiconductor 

laser 

In line with these considerations, the AEC qualified automotive 

components are clearly not a direct replacement for 

the qualified components for use in space and do not fully 

meet the sector's demands; however, they remain of high 

interest and have great potential for use in space, designing 

protocols that complement this difference and enabling the 

level of confidence required by the sector to be reached. 

Demetrio López 

Innovation Director 


Parts 

Engineering 

Product 

Assurance 

Electromagnetic 

Compatibility 

Radio 

Environmental 

Electrical 

testing 

Physical and 

mechanical 

techniques 

Failure 

analysis 

Environmental 

testing 

COTS 

validation 

Radiation 

testing 

Procurement 

CE Marking 

Safety 

Security 

Functional 

Wafer processing 

Flip chip 

Pick and place 

Wire bond 

Die attach 

Encapsulation 

Gold stud bumping 

Fibre align 

Space 

Aeronautics 

&RPAS 

Defence 

Telecom 

Energy 

Railway 

Security 

and Alarm

Master 

in Photonics 

"Photonics BCN" 

PHOTONICS is one of the disciplines that plays a key 

role in 21st century technological development. 

Four leading research and academic institutions in 

the BARCELONA area joined force to offer a comprehensive 

MSc in PHOTONICS programme as a combination 

of basic and advanced elective courses covering 

the main branches of PHOTONICS: 

- Basics of Photonics 

- Quantum Optics and Technology 

- Nonlinear and Ultrafast Optics 

- Biophotonics and Imaging 

- Photonics Materials and Metamaterials 

- Nanophotonics 

- Optical Engineering 

- Photonics Technology 

The Masters programme aims at educating future researchers 

in this field and also promoting entrepreneurial 

activity in PHOTONICS amongst its students. 

Main programme: 60 ECTS (1 academic year) 

Classes will begin Autumn 2019 

More information at: https://photonics.masters.upc.edu/en 

Admissions for 2019 open at: https://photonics.masters.upc.edu/ 

en/copy_of_academic-year-2019-20

Solutions 

for manufacturing

MANUFACTURING 

NIT 

I3LASWELD 

ensures excellence 

in laser welding 

New Infrared Technologies (NIT), in collaboration with the 

AIMEN Technology Centre, has developed the I3LASWELD 

system for the inline quality control of laser welding processes, 

capable of detecting defects in weld seams in real time 

and identifying defective parts. 

The I3LASWELD system (Inline Infrared Imaging Laser Welding 

QA) is based on a high speed infrared camera (1 kHz) 

manufactured by NIT, opto-mechanically coupled to the laser 

optics, which continuously monitors the geometry of the 

melt-pool. These infrared images of the melt-pool, acquired 

coaxially, are processed in real time using powerful algorithms 

based on neural networks, which provide information 

about the areas where the defects are concentrated and 

thus enable an evaluation of final quality (OK / NOK). 

The I3LASWELD system is compatible with both fixed and 

remote welding laser optics, and can be trained to detect 

multiple defects in different configurations, process types 

(transparency, butt or edge), sheet materials and thicknesses. 

As training is based on images of real processes, in which 

the defects to be detected have been forced in a production 

scenario, I3LASWELD provides very high defect detection 

rates with a success rate of more than 99%. Some examples 

of defects that I3LASWELD is able to detect very accurately 

are: lack of penetration, lack of fusion (false friend), excessive 

throat depth and absence of bead (discontinuities, pores, 

holes), among others. 

I3LASWELD has been successfully validated in a collaborative 

project with VOLVO, in which quality control of 

transparency welds between steel sheets (0.75 mm + 

0.70 mm) was carried out to ensure that the process met 

the required standards regarding both depth of the weld 

throat and internal width of the joint. 

Currently, NIT and AIMEN are implementing the I3LAS- 

WELD system in a GESTAMP production cell, at its 

Abrera plant, to detect defects in welds on-the-fly using 

a remote welding optical scanner, aiming to control the 

quality of more than 10,000 weld beads per production 

shift. The interconnection of I3LASWELD with the production 

quality control system implemented in the process 

cell will enable immediate performance metrics to be 

obtained, providing very accurate and valuable information 

to production engineers, in real time. 

Rodrigo Linares 

Director of Business Development 

34 34 LIGHT! light! by secpho by secpho

LIGHT! by secpho 35

MANUFACTURING 

ASORCAD 

Smart manufacturing 

becomes portable 

Portability, reliability and simplicity: the three attributes 

that new technologies have been providing to 

engineers and manufacturers in their daily work. Now, 

these technologies are doing the same thing in the 

field of metrology, inspection and quality control. 

It used to be common to see technicians working in 

closed metrology laboratories, sealed and away from 

the workshop. That is now ancient history. The new 

portable laser 3D scanners and portable optical coordinate 

measuring machines (CMM) are able to provide 

the most reliable metrology data for inspection 

and quality control anywhere, and in the working conditions 

of any workshop. 

In metrology, the great innovation has been the incorporation 

of coordinate optical measurement devices 

and fully portable 3D laser scanners. Extremely 

manageable and comfortable to use, they offer precision 

metrology without being affected by the environment. 

The part to be measured can be in movement, 

because the scanner or CMM can move during measurement. 

It does not matter if there are vibrations, 

changes in temperature, or light. These characteristics 

mean that measurements can be made in the workshop 

itself, on the production line, at the customer's 

house or outdoors. It doesn't matter. The accuracy of 

the measurements will not be altered in any case. 


ASORCAD 

MANUFACTURING 

The new range of fully portable optical metrology systems from 

Creaform available from AsorCAD Engineering. 

The new generation of portable CMM scanners and systems 

offers five major advances that make them the ultimate 

solution for metrologists and manufacturers around 

the world: 

Dynamic references that turn the scanner or the 

CMM system into devices that are unaffected by 

involuntary movements or the vibrations and disturbances 

that are typical of a workshop. 

Automatic alignment that eliminates the errors inherent 

in the manual alignment process. 

Smart measurement, a process that optimises data 

and ensures the highest level of accuracy. 

Easy calibration in situ that can be performed by a 

non-specialised operator in less than 5 minutes. 

Wireless, with strong, low-cost targets, which reduces 

the complexity of the measurement process, maintaining 

its accuracy. 

These five advances provide unquestionable business benefits: 

faster measurements that speed up time to market and 

ensure quality in each phase of the product's life cycle management. 

The need for fast, reliable and portable measurement systems 

is growing in industrial development and production, 

especially in metrology, quality control and inspection. 

The greatest impact is being seen in the most common type 

of quality control: the inspection of the parts produced. Portable 

optical technologies are allowing companies to integrate 

quality control and inspection of parts into the same 

production process, saving both time and money. 

In addition to the inspection of the parts produced, the new 

portable 3D scanners and portable CMM optical systems are 

used in an increasingly wide variety of quality control applications, 

in almost all types of industry. 

Antonio Sánchez 

CEO 


METRASCAN PORTABLE LASER 3D SCANNER 

METROLOGY ANYWHERE 

AsorCAD Engineering | info@asorcad.es 

C / Comte de Montemolín, 8 

08150 Parets del Vallès (Barcelona) 

+34 935707782 

www.asorcad.es

Cutting-edge solutions 

in thermography, at the service 

of the Automotive Industry 

The automotive industry is one of the most important economic 

sectors in the world. Quality standards are increasingly 

high, along with the demand for production, which is 

why many car manufacturers use thermal imaging cameras 

for quality control. 

Thermography is a fundamental tool for inspecting, checking 

and improving processes. In addition to being reliable tools 

which don’t need contact, thermographic cameras provide 

temperature measurements of an entire area, instead of 

specific points. Using the temperature map and using image 

processing algorithms it is possible to determine error zones 

Thermal radiation is present in all processes, 

so analysing and recording it is 

of key importance. 

due to lack of material input, welding points that are burnt 

or too cold, etc. 

In the automotive sector, thermography can be used in multiple 

applications, some of which are described below: 


MANUFACTURING 

BCB 

Process and quality control 

Process control involves measuring the temperature 

and identifying the shape of certain products in a production 

line, so that they conform to specifications. 

Artificial vision can detect a production problem, but 

not thermal irregularities. Indeed, thermography provides 

much more information to production specialists 

and decision makers, adding a new dimension to 

computer vision. 

Many automobile manufacturers use thermographic 

cameras for quality control. New vehicles undergo 

a multitude of tests for this purpose. Typical applications 

include inspection of rear window heating, 

heated seats, exhaust covers, air conditioning outlets, 

etc. Thermography is essential in durability and 

validation tests. 

Hot forming stamping 

and forging 

The hot forming process is based on combining a 

deformation operation of the base material (sheet 

or billet) at high temperature with subsequent 

quenching treatment. While hot, the material is 

more ductile and the piece is deformed with smaller 

forces. Subsequent rapid cooling gives it its highstrength 

martensitic structure. The microstructure 

and final properties of the manufactured part are 

strictly linked to a good control of the temperatures, 

times and deformations applied. 

Large temperature differences in the part or in the 

die during the process lead to the appearance of 

non-homogeneous deformations that can put the 

manufactured part out of tolerance. To avoid this, 

the thermal monitoring of hot forming cycles is required 

to evaluate the evolution of the temperature 

in the part before and after deformation, as well as 

the correct cooling of the die. 

Quality control for car 

components 

A reduction in the failure rate of electronic vehicle 

components is essential. The only way to guarantee 

this reduction is to check each component individually 

thereby offering 100% guaranteed quality control. 

Thermography allows electronic component 

manufacturers to detect hot spots, which is an indication 

of defective products. 

Additive manufacturing 

Also known as 3D printing, it allows you to create 

pieces directly from a digital model without the need 

for traditional subtractive machining tools and with 

minimal geometric limitations. Heat is an integral part 

of the additive manufacturing process and needs to 

be monitored to detect phenomena that have a direct 

effect on both the dimensional and mechanical 

quality and performance of the final product. The 

diagnosis of thermal stress or distortions using typical 

contact sensors such as thermocouples, RTDs 

or thermistors, is complicated or even impossible. 

Thermographic cameras help to study the process 

and its thermal properties, correlating temperatures 

measured during the process with quality parameters 

for the finished product. With the help of thermography 

it is possible to identify porosity, delamination, 

retraction, poor surface finish or dimensional defects. 

Comparison of thermal dissipation between electronic circuits 


BCB 

MANUFACTURING 

Thermal treatments for monitoring the 

manufacture of metal parts 

Heat treatment is used to alter the chemical and 

physical properties of manufactured metal parts, and 

is capable of monitoring their hardness or lack thereof. 

A case in which thermography can be really useful is 

in the casting processes of steel mills, both in continuous 

and mould casting. For iron part manufacturers 

in the automotive sector, knowledge of the temperature 

of the iron in the casting furnace is fundamental, 

as the filling temperature of the mould must be very 

precise to achieve the desired physical properties in 

the part. 

Currently, temperature control in this type of process 

is carried out with probes or rods introduced into the 

liquid metal bath, which have considerable thermal 

inertia, and can overheat when the process starts 

from a cold state. So the temperature obtained differs 

from that of emptying, which happens 5 to 10 

minutes later. However, with thermographic cameras 

we obtain instant measurements during the pouring 

process, which enables us to operate with a much 

greater reaction margin and forego the need for 

probes. 

Measurement by thermography is not only capable 

of measuring up to 1700°C (the pouring point for 

certain metals), but also of making this measurement 

as safely as possible, at a distance and without needing 

to intervene in the process. Repeatability and 

measurement quality is also high. 

In addition, with a thermography system it is possible 

to add functionalities, such as detecting in real 

time when the slag appears in the steel stream in 

pot filling, to stop it before it falls from the bucket. 

A distinction is made by emissivity of the slag against 

steel, signalling the slag with red isotherm. 

(Top image) Traditional measurement of the temperature of the emptying 

oven. (Bottom image) Measurement by thermography. 

bcb has developed a series of solutions aimed at the process 

control, traceability and quality management of the 

manufactured product. bcbMonitor® is a family of products 

that integrates multiple combinations of thermographic 

sensors, image management software and additional 

elements on a single platform, to build a complete 

thermographic monitoring solution adapted to the needs 

of each particular application. It is also possible to define 

regions of interest, record their evolution over time, programme 

the selective recording of images or videos with 

radiometric data, configure alarms, etc.... and communicate 

using the appropriate protocol (MODBUS/TCP-IP, 

EIP or others) with the process control system. 

Javier Bezares 

Founder & CEO 


cbMonitor 

Process supervision 

in the automotive industry 

TESTING: 

• Permeability 

• Heating system 

• Motors 

QUALITY: 

• Heat seal 

• Cavities and defects 

• Leaks 

• Vinyl and windscreen 

PRODUCTION: 

• Welding 

• Ongoing control 

• Maintenance of critical equipment 

R&D: 

• Design based on thermal distribution 

• Temperature-deformation ratio 

• Yield 

• High speed 

bcb 

C/Fernando el Católico, 11 

28015 Madrid 

Tel. (+34) 91 758 00 50 

info@bcb.es 

www.bcb.es 

bcb Mexico 

C Homero 538-303 

Col. Polanco V 

Del. Miguel Hidalgo 

11560 México DF, México 

Tel. (+52) 55-91 83 05 47 

info@bcbmex.com 

www.bcbmex.com 

Authorised Distributor:

Developments demanded 

by the automotive industry 

The automotive sector faces the most disruptive changes of 

the last few decades. Changes that affect the car itself, including 

weight reduction by the use of innovative materials 

and multi-material structures. And changes that affect the 

factory of the future, promoted by the incorporation of new 

manufacturing technologies such as collaborative robotics, 

additive manufacturing and the digitisation of industrial 

processes. 

Since it was established, AIMEN Technology Centre has 

been collaborating with the automotive industry in the provision 

of innovative solutions. Currently there are several 

initiatives involving photonic technologies that the Centre 

is developing in collaboration with this sector: 

ComMunion 

In the field of composite materials and multi-material structures 

we can highlight the European initiative entitled Com- 

Munion, led by AIMEN, where photonics play an important 

role in applications related to the monitoring and control of 

processes and the preparation of surfaces by laser texturing. 

The objective of ComMunion is to develop a novel solution 

for manufacturing multi-material metal/carbon fibre thermoplastic 

composite 3D components in a productive and 

cost-efficient way for the whole value chain of the automotive 

industry. The system developed within the framework 

of the project will be implemented in Autotech Engineering, 

a project partner, where the new hybrid metal-composite 

components will be manufactured and the novel system will 

be tested. 

INTEGRADDE 

Additive manufacturing of both polymer and metal components 

are the focus of much of the Centre's current research. 

An example is INTEGRADDE; a European initiative 

also led by AIMEN, which will revolutionise 3D printing of 

metal components in the European industry. 

INTEGRADDE will develop a strategy of continuous and 

integral control of additive manufacturing processes, from 

product design to final verification. 


MANUFACTURING 

AIMEN 

PHENOmenon 

Meanwhile, in the field of laser microprocessing, the 

PHENOmenon initiative will develop new technology for 

manufacturing optics and holographic products in an economical 

and customised way for high-efficiency lighting, 

safety, aerospace applications or 3D visualisation. 

The project will focus on the additive manufacturing, based 

on direct energy deposition processes, of medium/large 

metal parts for multiple industrial applications, including the 

automotive sector. 

The Slovenian partner CORDA will focus on the repair of 

stamping moulds used in the manufacture of automotive 

components using LMD-powder. 

CUSTODIAN 

Another ongoing project within the field of laser technology 

application, and in particular the shaping of the laser 

beam, is CUSTODIAN, a European initiative that seeks to 

develop a laser device which is adaptable to each application 

in order to achieve faultless processing. It is based on a 

methodology that includes determining the optimal thermal 

cycle for each material/application, developing a photonic 

system that emits a reconfigurable laser beam that enables 

reproduction of the optimal thermal cycle and the design of 

a real-time monitoring and control system. This will enable 

any laser process to be designed exactly in accordance with 

the thermal transformation required by the material, which 

will benefit productivity, quality and cost reduction. 

Holograms can be defined as photographs of the transmission 

of light itself. Using lasers, this light can be reconstructed 

making it appear to represent a three-dimensional 

object. In addition to 3D images, holographic 

technology can be used to create ultra-thin, ultra-light 

optical lenses and systems with a quality far superior 

to that of conventional glass lenses. It can also provide 

unique characteristics, thanks to the precise control of 

light: anti-fog vision, extreme concentration of light, or 

absence of chromatic aberrations and defects. All this 

opens the door to ultra-miniaturised devices for surveillance, 

medicine, solar cell concentrators or more efficient 

forms of lighting. PSA France, one of the project partners, 

is studying the possibility of using the technologies developed 

within the framework of this initiative to design 

new methods of interaction between vehicle and driver. 

In addition to these projects, AIMEN currently maintains 

strategic research alliances with large companies in the 

automotive sector. This is the case of the JOINTS4.0 initiative, 

set up with GKN Driveline Vigo, through which 

new technologies are being developed for the sustainable 

and high-performance manufacture of automotive transmission 

components. Likewise, DIGI4AUT, the alliance 

with the COPO Group, is pursuing the development and 

implementation of digital technologies to establish a new 

advanced, agile and flexible factory concept, adapted to 

the manufacture of components for the interior of vehicles. 

+ info: www.aimen.es 

Ambroise Vandewynckèle 

R&D Manager 

Patricia Blanco 

Communication & Marketing 

One of the industrial applications contemplated in the 

framework of this project is laser welding in the automotive 

sector, which will be tested by the Magneti Marelli company. 


MANUFACTURING 

COHERENT | ROFIN 

Innovative laser technology 

in electric car manufacturing 

ALUMINIUM BATTERY COVER WELDING 

Compared to petrol and diesel powered vehicles, 

electric car technology (emobility) is in its infancy 

(for example, in performance and range) and is, 

therefore, technically much more dynamic. This 

means that the metal parts and the metals themselves 

are being applied in new ways and/or being 

pushed to new limits. But, at the same time, vehicle 

manufacturers and lower-tier suppliers are only 

willing to adopt manufacturing technologies that 

are scalable and highly profitable. All these reasons 

favour lasers over many other methods for welding, 

cutting, hardening, wire welding and other applications, 

since lasers offer non-contact, wear-free, 

consistent and high-speed processing. However, 

the demands for delivery of advanced functionality 

components often exceed conventional laser processing. 

In this article, we analyse two innovations 

in laser welding specifically aimed at automotive 

electric mobility components. 

A key stage in the production of lithium ion batteries used 

in electric vehicles is the welding of battery boxes. It is essential 

that this weld is totally hermetic during the entire 

useful life of the component. In particular, this seal must 

prevent moisture infiltration because water reacts strongly 

with lithium, creating gas and pressure that could destroy 

the device. In addition, the welding process itself should not 

cause splashing, since metal particles (as well as moisture) 

can create internal leakage currents that could short-circuit 

the battery. Finally, and from the mechanical point of 

view, the welding must be strong enough to withstand the 

vibrations from the road surface, or even the shock from a 

collision. 

The sealing of the aluminium battery box has traditionally 

been done with laser conduction welding because the 

battery walls are thin (

MANUFACTURING 


has shown that the proper approach to the problem is to use 

a Gaussian central distribution point, surrounded by another 

concentric ring of laser light. 

This unusual configuration is achieved using the adjustable 

ring mode fibre laser (FL-ARM) from Coherent’s HighLight 

series. The beam transport fibre of this laser includes a conventional 

circular core surrounded by another fibre core of 

annular cross section. 

Coherent supplies FL-ARM systems with output powers 

ranging from 2.5 kW to 10 kW. The power in the centre and 

the ring can be adjusted independently, on demand, within a 

range of 1% to 100% of the nominal maximum output. The 

core and ring beams can even be independently modulated, 

at repetition rates of up to 5 kHz. 

With this configuration, there is a virtually limitless number 

of possible combinations in terms of the power ratio of the 

inner beam to the outer beam. However, all of these can 

be broadly grouped in the configurations shown in Figure 1. 

These basic patterns can be varied to offer a wide range of 

processing characteristics to optimally serve a diverse set of 

applications. 

For fibre laser welding of aluminium, one challenge has 

been that the material has a relatively low absorption in 

the near infrared. Small unpredictable variations in absorption 

cause the depth of penetration to vary, resulting in 

uneven welding. 

To address this, and to provide sufficiently precise control 

as required by the key-hole welding of the aluminium battery 

boxes, the FL-ARM beam is configured with power in 

both the centre and the ring. Using this particular power 

configuration, the leading edge of the ring beam raises the 

temperature of the aluminium enough to increase its absorption 

at the laser wavelength. Subsequently, the laser 

beam of the nucleus creates the key-hole, which is now 

very stable due to preheating. The back edge of the ring 

keeps the fusion pool open long enough to allow the gas 

to escape. Because the key-hole is stable and the material 

does not solidify so quickly, the whole process is more 

consistent and the process window is larger. The final result 

is a uniform and constant penetration of the material 

and welds of higher quality, without splashes or porosity. 

Basic FL-ARM Focused 

Spot Power Patterns 

Equal power in 

centre and ring 

Higher power in 

ring than centre 

Higher power in 

centre than ring 

Power in centre 

only 

Power in ring 

only 

Figure 1. Five of the basic patterns 

of power distribution in the 

focused laser beam.


MANUFACTURING 

WELDING THE ‘PINS' IN THE ELECTRIC MOTOR 

F2 

F3 

Another demanding challenge in the production of the electric 

car is the welding of copper coil pins in the stator of an 

electric motor. These rigid pins (called 'hairpins' due to their 

'u' shape) replace the copper wire windings that are traditionally 

used in an electric motor. Because they are much 

stiffer than cables, their orientation in the motor can be 

controlled more precisely, which ultimately results in better 

heat management and higher motor performance. 

In the assembly process, the individual pins are first loaded 

into the stator slots. Then, the ends of the adjacent pins 

are welded together to electrically connect them. When the 

entire engine is finished, all the pins will act as a single long, 

twisted conductor, like the windings of a conventional electric 

motor. 

The two key imperatives of this process are that the weld 

maintains the correct mechanical alignment of the pins and 

that it does not produce any defect (inclusions). The alignment 

of the pins is important because the exact shape of 

the winding directly affects the efficiency of the motor. Defects 

must be avoided because they increase the resistance 

of the final winding, which reduces its electrical efficiency 

and can also decrease the mechanical strength of the assembly. 

Coherent | ROFIN has developed a method based on fibre 

laser to perform pin welding that achieves all these objectives. 

The first key element of this process, which is based 

on a standard fibre laser from the HighLightTM series, involves 

the use of so-called 'beam oscillation'. In this case, 

the size of the beam focused on the work surface is deliberately 

smaller than the total area to be welded. However, 

the position of the place is quickly scanned (oscillation) to 

cover the entire area. 

As with the FL-ARM laser, the advantage of beam oscillation 

is that it allows more precise control over the temperature 

dynamics of the fusion pool. By moving the beam 

quickly and repeatedly over the part, and not allowing it to 

stop anywhere, it essentially preheats the part in a very controlled 

manner, instead of discharging all the power at once. 

All this stabilizes the melting bath, reducing splashes, defects 

and the porosity of the weld compared to traditional 

methods of laser welding. 

F4 

Figure 2. Cross section of a weld of two pieces of aluminium of the Series 

5000 of 1.6 mm thickness that shows deep penetration without 

pores or splashes. Figure 3. Longitudinal cross section along a 20 mm 

weld bead showing uniform penetration. Figure 4. Unprocessed copper 

stator. 

Coherent | ROFIN also offers practical tools related to processes 

that improve laser welding results in a production 

environment. The company can supply a laser welding subsystem 

that includes an artificial vision system to control the 

relative position of the focused laser beam and the tips of 

the pins. 

You can watch videos of these processes at https://www. 

youtube.com/watch?v=csUUZouasKU 

In conclusion, developing and implementing a successful laser 

production process involves exploring a portfolio of parameters, 

configurations and techniques that will ultimately 

offer the best welding results. Coherent | ROFIN has both 

the experience and the resources to perform the development 

work required to identify these various elements. In 

addition, Coherent | ROFIN can integrate all the required 

functionality (beam oscillation, FL-ARM adjustable mode 

profiles, process monitoring, etc.) into a single subsystem, 

which is controlled through a graphical user interface (GUI). 

The ability to acquire a complete and integrated laser welding 

system, instead of using part assembly, eliminates much 

of the uncertainty that can occur when an integrator assembles 

a system and finds that several elements do not work 

together successfully. 

Mikel Bengoa 

Team Leader High Power Laser Source Sales Europe 

Frank Gäbler 

Director of Marketing 


LASER 2000 EMPRESA MANUFACTURING 

APARTADO 

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blue lasers, 

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Disruptive technology for the manufacture 

of the vehicle of the future 

Globally, China has clearly positioned itself in the lead regarding 

the volume of production of electric cars, with a 

market share of 2.2% and annual production of close to 

600,000 units; triple that of the United States. The number 

of electric vehicles on the road has already exceeded 

3 million, 40% of them in China. 

16 countries, among which are the 7 largest economies 

in the world - the United States, China, Japan, Germany, 

the United Kingdom, India and France - currently participate 

in the EVI - Electric Vehicles Initiative, the mission 

of which is to accelerate the development of electric 

vehicles. The objective of the EV30@30 campaign is to 

achieve a market share of at least 30% of all vehicles sold 

by 2030, considering that the electrification of transport 

will help facilitate the transition to a "clean" energy system. 

According to the EV30@30 scenario, around 220 

million electric vehicles would be on our roads by 2030. 

Measures adopted by different governments include measures 

to promote R&D and improve productive processes 

and capacities, facilitating the adoption of technologies that 

contribute to electromobility. 

The percentage of electrical and electronic components in an 

electric vehicle is much higher than in a car with an internal 

combustion engine - a not insignificant figure: motors, batteries, 

wiring, complex electronic systems with sensors and 

actuators... And each component and each element within 

these components needs to be mounted with the greatest 

mechanical and electrical reliability, with process qualities 

and speeds unprecedented in some traditional technologies. 

Laser technologies have become an essential tool in numerous 

manufacturing processes in the automotive industry, 

offering product and process qualities that until a few years 

ago were unattainable using conventional technologies. In 

the field of welding, lasers have replaced resistance welding, 

arc welding, ultrasonic welding and other traditional joining 

processes in numerous applications. 

But lasers also have their limitations. One of these limitations 

is that traditional industrial lasers operate at infrared 

wavelengths, for which the absorptivity of non-ferrous metals, 

and especially copper, is very small. It was necessary to 


MANUFACTURING LASER 2000 

develop a laser with a wavelength for which said absorptivity 

was sufficient to guarantee quality welding, with a 

process speed suitable for high manufacturing volumes. 

And that wavelength is in the range of 450nm - blue light. 

Copper absorbs less than 5% of the radiation emitted by 

an infrared laser. This low absorption is not only a problem 

in terms of energy efficiency, but the excess energy 

required to start laser welding makes part of the metal 

evaporate from the weld pool (which absorbs more energy 

than the base metal), generating bubbles that give rise to 

splashes and pores in the weld. The blue wavelength has 

absorption levels more than ten times higher than infrared 

and, no less important, the energy required to maintain 

the weld is similar to that required to start it. In practical 

terms, this translates into splash and pore-free welding, a 

stable process that is much faster than can be achieved 

with infrared lasers. 

70 μm thick 130 W 



500 μm thick 



Examples of blue laser welding 

with different thicknesses of copper. 

The advantages of the blue wavelength had been known 

for decades, but nobody had managed to develop a 

high-power industrial laser at this wavelength. In 2017, 

NUBURU® launched its first high-performance blue laser, 

the AO-150 (150 W), which was followed in December 

2018 by the AO-500 (500 W), with new models in development. 

The AO® series lasers combine the output of dozens of 

gallium nitride (GaN) laser diodes in a single beam and 

couple that beam to an optical fibre, 200 μm in the case 

of the AO-150, and 400 μm for the AO-500, with a highly 

symmetrical and high-brightness beam. This high energy 

density makes the lasers developed by NUBURU® the 

most efficient. The stability of these lasers and their large 

process windows enable pore and splash-free welding in 

the three available operating modes: conduction, transition 

and keyhole. 

Among the multiple applications of the blue laser in the 

automotive industry, it is worth highlighting a particularly 

critical one: the welding of the layers of thin sheets of 

copper used in the electrodes of Ion-Lithium batteries. The 

greater the number of sheets, the greater the capacity for 

energy storage. The use of blue laser in these welds allows 

a greater concentration of sheets, welded without pores 

or splashes and with very short welding times, and subsequent 

economic savings. Blue lasers weld copper joints 

with flexibility, speed, and unrivalled quality, which makes 

them a very attractive option to improve productivity in 

vehicle component manufacturing. 

The tendency towards the greater concentration of electrical 

and electronic elements in increasingly reduced 

spaces requires a perfect weld seal quality, without pores 

that degrade the conductivity of the joint, impurities, or 

projections that can cause short circuits. The advantages 

of blue laser over other technologies such as infrared laser 

or ultrasonic welding are evident, and rapid implementation 

of this technology is expected in the next few years in 

the manufacture of automotive components. 

Víctor Blanco 

Business Unit Director 

www.laser2000.es 

Jean-Michel Pelaprat 

NUBURU 

www.nuburu.net 


High-Performance Blue Lasers (450 nm) 

AO-150 | 150W - fibre 200 μm 

AO-500 | 500W - fibre 400 μm 

Distributor in Europe: 

• Laser equipment 

• Laser safety 

• Optics & Optomechanics 

• Lasers and light sources for 

science, industry and R&D 

• Instrumentation 

• Artificial vision 

• Cameras 

• Fibre Optics and Networks 

www.laser2000.com

MANUFACTURING 

ALBA SYNCHROTRON 

The role of the ALBA Synchrotron 

in relation to challenges 

in the car industry 

The ALBA Synchrotron is the only synchrotron light source that exists in Spain; a light that is different due to its high brightness 

and intensity. It is for this reason that measurements with synchrotron light require less time, are more accurate than laboratory-based 

methods and, in general, are not destructive. This makes it suitable for observing the structure and properties of a 

great number of materials, including those used in vehicles, on a micro and nanoscopic scale. 

The ALBA Synchrotron can be of great help in relation to the challenges facing the automotive industry, such as how to achieve: 

More durable batteries for hybrid and 

electric vehicles 

Batteries with greater storage capacity plus rapid and efficient 

energy release are a major challenge for the automotive 

sector. Improving the different materials that make up 

battery components (anodes, cathodes, electrolytes, etc.) is 

essential for increasing their performance. The ALBA Synchrotron 

is a great specialist in the study of batteries, both 

in-situ and in the different phases of the battery's useful life 

and during the charging process. 

New stronger yet more lightweight 

materials, such as steel or plastics 

Making car materials more lightweight helps reduce fuel consumption; 

they should also be stronger to improve the impact 

of deformation and increase safety. The properties of these 

materials are strongly correlated to their structure, so the synchrotron 

techniques that characterise micro and nanoscopic 

structure are of the utmost importance for their improvement. 


ALBA SYNCHROTRON 

MANUFACTURING 

More efficient catalytic converters to 

reduce the emission of pollutants 

The exhaust pipe catalytic converters on vehicles lose efficiency as 

they age due to sintering (aggregation of catalytic nanoparticles), 

which causes a loss of active surface. Synchrotron techniques enable 

the study of the mechanism and behaviour of catalytic materials 

during activation and while catalytic reactions take place in 

the car, which enables us to improve their properties and efficiency, 

while making them more durable. 

Materials for vehicles 

driven by hydrogen 

The success of this type of vehicle depends to a 

large extent on the ability to obtain lightweight, 

compact and safe hydrogen storage devices for 

adequate amounts of hydrogen. The Synchrotron 

has studied different materials for such purposes 

with the aim of finding solutions applicable on an 

industrial scale. 

The information obtained in a synchrotron 

installation helps to develop new 

processes, characterise material in situ, 

improve its properties and reduce costs. 

Please contact us (industrialoffice@ 

cells.es) if you believe that the ALBA 

synchrotron could be helpful for your 

company. 

Marta Ávila 

Industrial Office Researcher

SPECIALISTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF 

HYDRAULIC AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT 

FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE AND INDUSTRY SECTOR 

WE CREATE YOUR PROJECT 

FROM YOUR IDEA 

Custom projects 

We provide "know-how" 

and innovation 

We provide solutions 

and profitability 

Tel. (+34) 93 861 13 20 

export@micrauto.es 

Ctra. Valldoriolf, KM. 0,189 08430 

La Roca del Vallès (Barcelona) SPAIN

Automotive 

experts

EXPERTS 

DRIVING 

4.1 INNOVATIVE SUPPORT SOLUTIONS 

FOR DRIVING 

Laser processes in polymers for lighting and interior design. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

More efficient catalytic converters to reduce pollutant emission. 

New, lighter and more resistant materials such as steel or plastic. 

More durable batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles. 

Materials for vehicles powered by hydrogen. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Development of prototypes for custom lidar images. 

Development of lidar systems for real-time 3D image without moving 

parts, with high spatial resolution, immunity to solar radiation and the 

ability to coregister multiple image modes. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Development of 2D images. 


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Development of a broadband image sensor for the implementation of an 

autonomous driving system for all weather conditions 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 


DRIVING 

EXPERTS 

Camera in card format and OEM for driving assistance and driver monitoring. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Development of artificial intelligence systems for autonomous driving. 

CARLA: open-source simulation platform with different digital assets that 

acts as a support tool in the development, training and validation of autonomous 

driving systems. 

SYNTHIA: Data-set formed of a large set of synthetic images, generated 

from videogame environments, with automatic annotations of the different 

objects that make up the scene, in order to efficiently feed the learning 

systems of the future autonomous vehicle so that it can understand, and 

react to, the environment. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

POF 

Knowledge Development 

Intra-vehicular optical communications. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Designs and manufactures customised sensors for use in cars (colour, 

blind angle, Lidar, communications). 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Comprehensive photonic circuit development services for multiple applications, 

laser radar (LIDAR) for autonomous driving vehicles, photonic 

sensors or integrated optical transmitters/receivers. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Development of systems that improve the comfort of the vehicle: components 

that reduce vibration, electrical systems that hold doors, sensors 

that avoid impacts against obstacles, etc. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 


EXPERTS 

DRIVING 

Permanent control of the operation of electric vehicles through the 

use of distributed fibre optic sensors and special optical fibres. 

Real-time monitoring of the state of composite structural elements 

through the use of integrated fibres and distributed fibre optic sensors. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Laser texturing and design and functional microstructuring for 

moulds: decorative texturing of all types, microstructuring for light 

guidance, texturing for controlled light dissemination, texturing and 

micromachining of lighting prototypes. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Encapsulation service and verification of opto-electronic devices. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 


MANUFACTURING 

EXPERTS 

4.2 INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR MANUFACTURING 

Laser processes for manufacturing parts, textures and finishes. 

Laser processes in polymers and interior design. 

Laser processes for the manufacture of embedded sensors. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Distributors and integrators of 3D scanning systems in metrology grade 

for interiors and exteriors, even in automated production processes, implemented 

in almost all automotive manufacturers and suppliers. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 

S 

3D scanning with portable laser devices for quality control, metrology 

and reverse engineering. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Development of thermographic solutions for continuous and online 

monitoring of critical equipment and processes. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Confocal chromatic sensor for surface inspection, contact-free optical 

rugosimeter. 

Detection of defects of painted products by industrial vision with high 

redundancy. 

Laser protection cabins and enclosures customised for production line 

or R&D. 

Measurement and inspection systems for screens and displays. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Advanced inspection systems through artificial vision. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 


EXPERTS 

MANUFACTURING 

High-performance blue laser for the processing of copper, copper 

alloys and other metals, applicable in new Li-Ion batteries and other 

electrical and electronic systems of the vehicle. 

Peak and femtosecond lasers for material microprocessing. 

Accessories and components of laser systems. 

Laser safety systems and equipment: cabins, panels, curtains, windows, 

glasses, interlock, signalling. 

Colorimeters and luminance, illuminance and flicker meters. 

Laser lighting systems and structured light sources for the detection 

of defects through artificial vision. 

SWIR thermal cameras. 

Cameras and auxiliary systems for artificial vision. 

Ultra-short pulse lasers for material microprocessing. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Laser cut. 

Welding of metals by laser. 

Polymer welding by laser. 

Laser marking and engraving. 

Laser hardening and tempering. 

Additive laser manufacturing. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Permanent control of the operation of electric vehicles through the 

use of distributed fibre optic sensors and special optical fibres. 

Real-time monitoring of the state of composite structural elements 

through the use of integrated fibres and distributed fibre optic sensors. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Lenses for laser heads of vehicle headlights. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 


MANUFACTURING 

EXPERTS 

Additive manufacturing technologies for metal parts. 

"Ad hoc" photonic devices for manufacture with zero defects. 

High performance laser welding solutions. 

Microdrilling of metal components with thicknesses of less than 1 mm. 

Manufacture of functional surfaces. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Industrial solutions based on infrared technology for monitoring, quality 

control and real-time control of laser processes (welding, overlay, additive 

manufacturing, cutting, etc.). 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Laster texturing, design and functional microstructuring of moulds: decorative 

texturing, microstructuring for light guiding, texturing for controlled 

light dissemination, texturing and microproduction of lighting prototypes. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Development of customised systems based on artificial vision specialising 

in the field of 3D reconstruction focused on dimensional control, 

quality control and optimisation of production processes. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Designs and manufactures equipment parts for inspection (colour, X-ray). 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Solutions based on artificial vision, robotics and artificial intelligence for 

industrial automation. Application integration to automate tasks and improve 

the ergonomics of workstations. Examples: vision-guided robotics 

for pre-assemblies and picking of parts with complex or variable geometries, 

chaotic piking, defect and intruder detection, character reading, 

metrology. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Artificial intelligence systems applied to artificial vision for classifying objects 

and reading characters. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 


EXPERTS 

MANUFACTURING 



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Encapsulation service and verification of opto-electronic devices. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Manufacture of a low-weight, airtight battery box for electric vehicles. 

Hot stamping technologies and multi-material solutions to achieve lighter 

body and chassis components with high impact resistance. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

4.3 SUPPORT FOR INNOVATION 

Advice, protection and defence of industrial and intellectual property 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 

Comprehensive service in the management of financial and fiscal aid 

to boost R&D projects and improve competitiveness. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S 


3D Printing

In collaboration with:

light! 004 | The car of the future

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