Industrial Laser Solutions has initiated a year-long campaign to raise the awareness of readers, and viewers, to the advantages of laser welding. To do this we will be featuring contributed editorial material that illustrates how laser welding, when used early in the design phases, can reduce manufacturing costs and produce a better product while generating a higher profit. We will illustrate the process of understanding by showing how laser welding starts with the product designers who, at least in the United States, do not have a basic understanding of the advantages of this low total heat input process. By example we plan to show how product design can be simplified and manufacturing costs reduced by implementation of laser welding instead of more conventional joining techniques.

The FMA Foundation has a goal of attracting young people into manufacturing; one aspect of which is the teaming of the FMA Foundation with John Ratzenberger, former Executive Producer of the Travel Channel's "Made in America" series. John has visibility through his association with the highly watched network TV show, Cheers, where he played the "know-it-all" postman Cliff Claven.

Recently, ILS's Dave Belforte had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Ratzenberger who through his Nuts, Bolts and thingamajigs Foundation is trying to raise the awareness of young people to the self satisfaction gained through making things. Click here to watch the video interview with John Ratzenberger.

Wed Oct 15 15:29:00 CDT 2008