Ultrafast Fiber Laser Pioneer IMRA America opens a new Prototyping Facility in Ann Arbor, MI
Ann Arbor, June 03, 2002—
IMRA America, Inc. today announced the Grand Opening of a new building at their Corporate Headquarters located in Ann Arbor, MI.

This new building, adding 11,000 sq. ft. to the two existing buildings, is dedicated to the expansion of IMRA America from a research and development organization to a product-oriented company. The design and equipment of this building is specialized for prototyping and the first stages of production of new fiber lasers.

The new facility includes areas with special clean conditions for optical sub-assembly and testing, final assembly and alignment sections, as well as a number of final test beds for pre-shipment qualification and environmental testing. The new building allows IMRA America to increase the number of employees in the US to nearly 80.

Whereas the production of IMRA’s Femtolite laser series will remain as established in Japan, the new facility in Ann Arbor will begin prototyping and small-scale production of new developments such as IMRA’s GX-Pulsar and the FCPA laser. These new products will allow innovative commercial applications in the microelectronic, telecommunication and medical industries. The GX-Pulsar is a unique time-“tailored” nanosecond laser source, specialized for very precise micromachining tasks such as mask repair and microstructuring in the semiconductor industry. The FCPA is the first commercial femtosecond laser, which can reach microJoule energy levels without the use of traditional Titanium-Sapphire technology. Its innovative concept was recently honored with the “Commercial Technology Achievement Award” from Laser Focus World. The most promising applications of this fiber laser system are in microprocessing, such as waveguide writing for telecom, and in revolutionary new treatments in ophthalmology.

The Grand Opening on June 03, 2002 will be celebrated by Mr. Kanshiro Toyoda, President of IMRA’s mother company Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd, the leading automotive component manufacturer in Japan, and IMRA’s President Mr. Takashi Omitsu. Guest Speakers will include The Honorable Makoto Ito, Consul General of Japan in Detroit, Professor Stephen Director, Dean of the College of Engineering, University of Michigan and Professor Erich Ippen, Dept. of Electrical Engineering from MIT.

More than 50 guests from academic, industrial and political organizations will join the ceremony.

About IMRA America
Founded in 1990, IMRA America, Inc. (Headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is a global acting company, dedicated to a leading edge position in the development of pulsed fiber laser technologies for commercial applications. IMRA’s turnkey fiber lasers with pulse durations from femtoseconds to nanoseconds, with ultracompact packaging, high stability and maintenance- free operation, are ideal optical pulse sources for telecommunication, material processing, semiconductor inspection and repair, instrumentation and medical diagnostics and therapy. They are based on IMRA’s proprietary fiber oscillator, fiber amplifier, and advanced pulse compressor technologies, which are documented in over 40 patent applications.

For more information, please contact:
IMRA America, Inc.
1044 Woodridge Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Phone: (734) 930-2560
Fax: (734) 930-9957
e-mail: lasers@imra.com