FPC Website Now Accepts PayPal!

The Florida Photonics Cluster (FPC) Website now accepts donations and member dues payments through PayPal (http://www.paypal.com/). PayPal is a fast, convenient and safe way to make online purchases and transactions. You can pay without revealing your credit card or bank information! Note that the completion and submission of a membership application is still required for new applicants.

Special Laser Institute of America Discount!

Laser Institute of America (LIA) is a supporter of optics clusters worldwide for the purpose of advancing the application of lasers and laser safety worldwide.



As part of LIA’s support of the Florida Photonics Cluster (FPC), several special discounts are provided to companies and organizations that are FPC members. All FPC members can receive a $100 discount on corporate membership dues for one year with Laser Institute of America (LIA) when joining the LIA as a new corporate member. Additionally, FPC members are eligible for a substantial discount on advertising space through the following LIA media outlets: LIA’s bimonthly newsletter LIA Today, LIA’s monthly online newsletter LIA Connection, LIA Laser Application Resource Guide, the Journal of Laser Applications and LIA’s Website.

To receive these discounts, include a copy of your FPC membership application or dues payment with your LIA corporate member application and/or ad space order. For the LIA corporate member application, make your check for Laser Institute of America for $100 less than the normal dues for the level of membership you choose.

• For information on the level of ad discount for your company, contact Jim Naugle, LIA Marketing Director, (jnaugle@laserinstitute.org, 407/380-1553, x34).
• For information about the LIA, including benefits, individual and corporate member dues and application forms, or to download an application form, go to http://www.laserinstitute.org/membership.
• For information about the FPC, including dues and application form, go to http://www.floridaphotonicscluster.com/

LIA's Guide to Laser Cutting, 2nd Edition - Now Available!

Laser Institute of America (LIA) is pleased to announce the release of the second edition of LIA's popular Guide to Laser Cutting

Packed with everything you need to know about laser cutting, this guide offers in-depth and helpful information from the small shop owner to the large manufacturer. It’s the industry’s “blueprint” for implementing, operating, and maintaining a laser-cutting operation.
In the second edition of LIA’s Guide to Laser Cutting, we’ve added many new sections that you’ll find extremely useful in everyday operations. Improve laser-cutting results with valuable cut quality tips addressing cut width and taper, stop/start marks, thermal distortion, fiber lasers, and Heat-Affected Zones (HAZ).

What’s New?

Buying Guide
If your company is in the market for a new laser-cutting machine, how do you determine which one is best? We’ve included a step-by-step guide to “cut through the hype” and evaluate whether or not the machine will perform at the level required.

Updated Cutting Tables
We’ve enhanced the useful cutting tables, and added new cutting speed tables for machines that use nitrogen.

Helpful Cut Quality Tips
Improve laser-cutting results with handy tips addressing cut width and taper, stop/start marks, thermal distortion, and Heat-Affected Zones (HAZ) including laser cutting of mild/carbon steel, stainless steel, and non-ferrous alloys.

Easy Trouble Shooting
A picture is worth a thousand words, especially when it comes to illustrating pointers on improving cut quality. The extensive trouble-shooting guide provides easy-to-apply tips on adjusting the machine to get the best results!

Order the industry’s best laser cutting guide today!

Guide to Laser Cutting, Second Edition

LIA Pub# 122

Price: Member: $39.00 Non-member: $49.00

ISBN # 978-0-912035-16-1

Order online at www.laserinstitute.org/store or call toll-free at 1-800-34-LASER.

DARPA Solicitations - Advanced Night Vision System

DARPA is soliciting proposals for its Advanced Night Vision System program. This program seeks to develop night vision systems for urban operations. Proposals should describe innovative system concepts with a decided focus on the technological advances required to achieve the end-state program objectives. Multiple awards are anticipated; eligibility is unrestricted. Proposals may be submitted at any time until April 20, 2009; however, they are due June 13, 2008, for the initial evaluation phase. For more information, visit: https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=d66a74bbfb115f4bfaba221801b44f31&tab=core&_cview=0

DARPA Soliciting R&D Proposals - Integrated Photonics

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative R&D proposals the area of integrated photonics. The goal of this program is to develop a chip-scale, integrated photonic platform with “fiber-like” losses for optical delay applications. Multiple awards are anticipated; eligibility is unrestricted. Proposal abstracts are strongly encouraged and are due May 20, 2008; full proposals are due July 15, 2008. For more information, visit: https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=44de58be7773c1c8523430cfb84beec9&tab=core&_cview=1

ATTN: All FPC members and companies exhibiting at DSS08

If you are planning to exhibit at DSS09, please do consider asking to be located with the Florida Cluster on the floor -- indicate on your contract application or call/email SPIE if you've already sent your early bird contract. In addition to providing a 10% discount on space (to companies who are not SPIE corporate members), it may give your company a better location on the floor, and it will help us continue to demonstrate the strength of the Florida photonics industry and to give evidence that Florida is indeed THE place to go for photonics solutions. See the attached for the cluster group deal (the attached is for DSS08, but the DSS09 deal is the same. We will have a "neighborhood style" cluster.)

Jim Pearson
Executive Director, Florida Photonics Cluster