AILU


The Association of Industrial Laser Users was established in 1995 as an independent, non-profit organisation run by and for laser users involved in activities including manufacturing, healthcare, academic and industrial research; as well as suppliers of laser-related products and services.
The association promotes many activities surrounding Laser use, such as the fostering of co-operation and collaboration and the dissemination of information, experience and expertise relating to industrial laser technology, laser materials processing; its applications and related technologies.

Organisation

The organisation of AILU is under the direction of an elected standing committee made up of from the UK industrial laser community. Elections are held annually at the Annual General Meeting.
AILU provides a wide range of general services to laser users and suppliers and hosts a number of special interest groups to better support members who have particular interests in common. These include a Job Shop SIG for subcontract laser-based engineering companies; a Market Development SIG for suppliers of laser-related products and services; a Medical SIG for clinicians, manufacturers using lasers for manufacture of medical devices and suppliers of laser-related products and services; and the Micro:Nano SIG, AILU’s newest, launched in mid 2008 at AILU's 10th microprocessing workshop.”

Activities

The current activities of AILU include:
Application for membership of AILU is open to the industrial laser community worldwide. AILU currently has over 300 members, which make up manufacturing industry including laser job shops, suppliers of laser-related products and services and research and consultancy organisations.

The AILU Award

The AILU award recognises those individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the industrial use of lasers in the UK. The AILU Award is presented to an individual for significant contribution to laser materials processing and that preferably has wider benefit for the industrial laser user community.
YearRecipientOutline
2015Paul HiltonOutstanding contribution to the industrial use of lasers in the UK
2013John BishopOutstanding contribution to the industrial use of lasers in the UK
2011Janet StoyelContribution to the application of lasers to the discipline of Textiles, Art, Media and Design
2009Brooke WardPioneering work on measurement standards and optics, outstanding contribution
to the industrial use of CO2 lasers in the UK.
2008Tim WeedonPioneering efforts to introduce Nd:YAG-based machining systems into the UK.
2007Malcolm Gower & Phil RumsbyIn recognition of their pioneering work with Excimer laser processing.
2006David StroudFor his outstanding contribution to the industrial use of lasers in the UK.
2005Bill SteenAILU's first President.
2004Denis HallInnovator of industrial lasers and their applications.
2003Colin WebbEntrepreneur and gas laser innovator.
2001David DysonInnovator in slow axial flow industrial laser design.
2000Martin Adams, Derek Russell & Frank van RompuyDevelopers of the first fast axial flow CO2 laser.
1999Maurice GatesEntrepreneur and pioneer of lasers for fine metal cutting.
1998Jim WrightEntrepreneur and pioneer of industrial Nd:YAG laser applications.
1997Peter HouldcroftInventor of oxygen assisted laser cutting.