In the rapidly evolving landscape of advanced manufacturing, precision and reliability are paramount. At Laser World of Photonics 2025 in Munich, Aerotech, a leader in precision automation and laser micro-machining for 55 years, showcased technologies that are designed to tackle real-world production challenges and foster enduring customer partnerships.
"It's been very busy," says Simon Smith, the company's European Director, reflecting on the show's success. "We have a lot of customers and we're well known in the laser micro machine markets, and so we’ve had a lot of visitors, and lots of pre-planned visits as well."
The company's reputation stems from its distinctive positioning performance and its position synchronised output technology, which fundamentally changes how lasers interact with motion systems. "We have a unique technology which is position synchronised output, which allows you to fire lasers based on position," explains Smith. "If you're moving in two or three axes of motion, you're able to fire the laser completely based on the vector of the three axes of motion based on encoder feedback. As an example, if you come to a corner or a tight bend, you have to slow down to get the precision that you need around the corners, but it will modulate the laser power so you don't burn the corners. You don't have any heat affected zones."
This technology foundation enables Aerotech to address increasingly demanding applications, particularly in medical device manufacturing. The company showcased several new developments at the show, including a laser turn system specifically designed for stent and hypertube manufacturing. "We've reduced the inertia of the system to optimise part quality and machine cycle time," says Smith. "If you have a customer that's manufacturing hypertubes or stents, then the key KPI is, ‘how many of these can we produce per-hour?’ That's what Aerotech is optimising."
The biggest challenge for Western medical OEMs
The challenge facing Western OEMs in these markets is particularly acute. "The cost base for manufacturing is going towards Asia, lower cost," says Smith. "The big advantage of using Western manufacturers, however, is the quality they can produce. As we start to get smaller, for example brain stents and all sorts of smaller devices, it requires more optimised motion components. These companies are facing an issue - they either have to innovate and come up with something new, or they've got to lose out that market space. We're enabling our customers to innovate and to address that market."

This innovation extends beyond individual components to integrated systems. Aerotech demonstrated its granite motion system showcasing galvo technologies and infinite field of view capability. "Galvos are becoming a big, higher throughput device that you can use to manufacture parts," says Smith. "The disadvantage is, if you want higher accuracy parts, you have to reduce the field of view. We have a unique technology called infinite field of view. You program the galvo, and if the part goes outside the galvo field of view, we extend it with the motion system automatically."
An integrated approach
This integration approach eliminates common industry challenges. "A lot of companies will buy a scanner, they have their own controller, and then they have to communicate between the galvo controller and the motion controller, which adds complexity to programming," Smith notes. "The big benefit of the Aerotech solution is it's all controlled from one control platform. The other big advantage to Aerotech’s approach is the reduction in position errors, where errors in the large slower axis can be compensated automatically by the faster galvo axis".
The company also addressed cable management challenges with its Automation1-flex technology. "One of the biggest disadvantages to a lot of what we do is cable management," explains Smith. "With Automation1-flex, we can replace all of the feedback cables with just the fibre optic cable, and we can then put the amplifier technology up on board the moving mass. This gives you the benefit of reducing the drag, it reduces the number of cables, it makes it more reliable."
Looking toward emerging markets, Aerotech is positioning itself for the photonics revolution. "One of the trends that we're seeing in the marketplace is the move away from electron-based electronics to photon-based electronics, quantum computing and things like this," says Smith. The company's hexapod alignment capabilities address the precise requirements of photonic device manufacturing, where "you have to be able to attach external devices to the photonic chips, and this requires alignment of these devices precisely to get the maximum power transmission through the device."
Looking forward to market recovery
Market conditions are showing signs of recovery after recent challenges. "I think what's happening now is the market's coming back," Smith observes. "Over the last two to three months, we've definitely seen an increase of people coming to us saying, we've finished the supplies that we had. We need to order more." The company even secured orders directly at the show, with Smith noting, "We had a customer here on Tuesday. We took an order at the booth."

Aerotech's approach to business reflects a fundamental philosophy of partnership over transactions. "As a company, we're very much a partner to work with," says Smith. "If you have automation challenges, if you're trying to improve part quality or you're trying to make more parts per hour, talk to our team. We want to understand what your problems are and try to help you solve them."
This commitment to partnership creates lasting relationships that span decades. Smith shares the story of a recent customer visit: "I've known this customer for about 30 years. I started working with his father. He came on the stand and he's saying, ‘well, we've had these systems in place for 30 years from Aerotech’. He said he'd always stick with Aerotech because the reliability of everything and the way in which it's worked, and the support that we've provided has been second to none. It's lifelong partnerships and friendships - that's what it's about."