Laser Peening Pioneers Surge Ahead at Light Speed
Fatigue enhancement specialist LSP Technologies – the original laser peening services and equipment provider – is enjoying record revenues and substantial growth as the company evolves to meet increasing demand.
Posted: June 28, 2017
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Defining an Industry
The future is bright, and LSP Technologies’ lasers shine brighter. With demand for laser peening services and equipment at an all-time high, LSPT is enjoying its strongest year ever as manufacturers around the world seek superior fatigue enhancement and component service life extension. Over the last eighteen months, LSPT has founded multiple manufacturing partnerships, launched a state-of-the-art equipment line, inked deals for two international facilities, and brought in record revenue.
LSPT uses high-energy laser pulses to enhance metal, making critical parts safer, stronger, and more reliable. Laser peening delivers material benefits up to twenty times more effective than other surface treatments, and the technology is quickly transitioning from niche application to mainstream solution.
LSPT Business Development VP David Lahrman explains: “We founded LSP Technologies twenty-two years ago, and came to market with this revolutionary product that nobody had ever heard of. For a while, our marketing mission was mostly about educating our customers and building trust. By opening dialogues with OEMs and being transparent in our message, we’ve been able to build familiarity with our process and our brand.”
Appetite for Enhancement
The hard work has paid off, as an increasing number of manufacturers turn to laser peening to enhance high-value components. “These days we’re fielding inquiries from all over the world,” said LSPT Director of Sales Doug Eberhart. “Some of the applications are so cutting-edge, it’s really exciting to see new opportunities come in every week.”
Doug joined LSPT in 2016 to support the deluge of new application development and production inquiries. “I’ve enjoyed working with manufacturers to deliver the optimal solution for their product,” Doug added. “Meanwhile, our customers in the combustion turbine industry continue ramping up production volume, and we’re moving more blades through our facility than ever before.”
LSPT’s production team recently achieved a milestone laser peening their 50,000th turbine blade at the company’s processing center in Dublin, Ohio. Turbine blade manufacturers were early adopters of laser peening to combat fatigue failures in aircraft engines and land-based power generation equipment. After years of serving major American OEM’s, LSPT is expanding into an international market that is hungry for powerful surface enhancement solutions.
Worldwide Expansion
“We’re seeing incredible growth potential and high-level interest in China,” said Dr. Jeff Dulaney, LSPT founder and CEO. “Clearly a world-leader in component manufacturing, China lacks the laser peening infrastructure to support large-scale industry. They have lasers, but not laser peening systems. With LSPT’s laser peening expertise and quality control, we expect to dominate the Chinese market with our process and equipment.”
LSPT’s first venture into China comes via an equipment installation at the Guangdong University of Technology (GDUT) in Guangzhou province. GDUT purchased the world’s first commercial laser peening system, LSPT’s Procudo® 200 Laser Peening System, and is positioning to be China’s leading research facility for high-powered component enhancement.
LSP Technologies is currently the only company in the world selling laser peening systems. “We’ve cultivated our own exclusive market,” explains Dr. Dulaney. “If you want a laser peening system in your facility, LSPT is the company you call. We deliver a comprehensive product that includes cell enclosures, integrated robots, and custom process controls. The entire system is engineered for production laser peening, and each sale includes rights to our extensive patent portfolio.”
China isn’t the only market for state-of-the-art laser peening equipment, as LSPT will soon deliver a Procudo® 200 System to the ZAL Center of Applied Aeronautical Research in Hamburg, Germany. David Lahrman explains the impact: “Hamburg is one of the world’s most important locations in the civil aviation industry. The Hamburg Aviation Cluster is a massive network covering all aspects of aviation research, manufacturing, and sustainment. LSPT’s presence within ZAL makes our laser peening equipment a feature of one of the most advanced aeronautical research facilities in the world.”
A Growing Team
To deliver on growing worldwide demand for laser peening products and services, LSPT has expanded its staff by 50% over the last twelve months. “We’ve entered an aggressive talent acquisition phase,” explains Brad Dunnington, LSPT board member and chief recruiter. “We’ve added skilled individuals across all departments, while investing heavily in our engineering and project management teams. With a growth track like LSPT is on, we need to bring in the right people to stay ahead of the curve. If we do talent acquisition properly, everything else falls into place.”
LSP Technologies has stood at the forefront of innovative material enhancement for over twenty years. With performance and cost-saving benefits unrivaled in the industry, laser peening provides a powerful tool to manufacturers and engineers around the world. “We literally use pulses of light to make things stronger,” said Sales Director Doug Eberhart. “It’s an amazing application. I can’t wait to see where it takes us next.”
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