New Development Center Supports Innovation at TRUMPF Laser GmbH

The laser manufacturer invested 13.5 million euros in an expansion of its two-story primary solid-state laser development facility that will consolidate all laser development sections under a single roof for the first time.

TRUMPF Laser GmbH + Co. KG (Ditzingen, Germany), the world’s largest manufacturer of lasers for industrial use, has expanded its primary solid-state laser development facility by erecting a new building in the town of Schramberg-Sulgen, Germany.

TRUMPF Laser GmbH + Co. KG has augmented this corporate site with a structure offering 6,200 sq m of floor space. With about 250 guests in attendance, the official opening took place on March 6. The two floors in the Development Center house both office space and laboratories dedicated to the development of solid-state lasers.

Investment volume for this new project came to 13.5 million euros, while construction took 17 months. This investment is a clear expression of the company’s commitment to the site and to its innovation and growth strategy. At the opening ceremonies Peter Leibinger, the vice-chairman of the TRUMPF Group Management Board, noted, “Schramberg is not only the cradle of the German laser industry. Today it is one of the world’s leaders in laser technology development and production.”

Professor Reinhart Poprawe, the director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology in Aachen, emphasized another point in his dedication speech, “The laser is playing a decisive role in the design of tomorrow’s production technologies. And to that end we need – in addition to a superior research setting at universities and other institutions – highly innovative companies like TRUMPF.”

All of the development sections at Schramberg will, for the first time, be consolidated under a single roof. In the past, these units were located in a number of different buildings around the site. TRUMPF will use the freed up floor space to expand its production capacities for solid-state lasers.

Barkow Leibinger architects in Berlin planned the new two-story structure, measuring 52 m x 52 m, and distinguished by the way it utilizes the site’s topography. The lower level is almost completely embedded in the slope of the land. Laser testing laboratories, a climate control chamber, and the building’s utility services will be found on that floor – functions that need little or no daylight. On the upper floor are office and conference rooms.

The façade for this story is made entirely of glass. Slender, laser-cut aluminum fins run the entire height of the building, lending structure to the façade. An atrium on the office level provides additional daylight.
“The application options for laser technology are by no mean exhausted,” said Leibinger in his speech. The completion of the Development Center simply marks a milestone in expansion activities at the TRUMPF site in Schramberg.

In other company news, Materials Integrity Testing, Inc. (MIT; Gurabo, Puerto Rico) has been named sales representative for TRUMPF fabricating machinery in the Caribbean. This territory includes Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Jamaica. Shane Simpson will be the TRUMPF regional manager serving the area.

The decision to increase sales and sales support is based on the recent industrial development in the Caribbean. The company’s technologically-advanced industrial portfolio, including laser cutting, punching and combination machines, and press brakes, are uniquely suited to support this rapid growth. As a successful and established equipment distributor, Materials Integrity Testing is an ideal partner for machine tool distribution in this area.

TRUMPF is a leading global technology company with machine tools, laser technology, electronics and medical technology as its business fields. Products manufactured with the company’s technology can be found in almost every sector of industry. TRUMPF is the world technological and market leader for machine tools used in flexible sheet metal processing, and also for industrial lasers. www.trumpf.com