ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 27, 2024 – Fonon, a multi-market holding company, R&D center, equipment designer and manufacturer of advanced laser material processing systems for subtractive and additive manufacturing, highlights benefits of its BlackStar silicon wafer dicing system for applications in the semiconductor industry.

Conventional laser dicing challenges include reducing material losses and reducing cracks and thermal distortions at an effective machining speed. Leveraging Fonon’s patented Fantom Width Laser Dicing (FWLD) technology, the BlackStar system aims to solve these challenges by using a pulsed fiber laser to split brittle silicon, thereby maximizing die yield per wafer.

By utilizing the BlackStar system, manufacturers benefit from high-quality, precise, and clean cuts essential for processing brittle materials. Laser processing is a cost-effective method that significantly reduces die street width, minimizing overall material loss. This reduction in material loss not only lowers production costs but also decreases production time, making the entire process more efficient.

Fonon’s exceptionally flexible FWLD technology produces multiple size dies on the same wafer. It also dices complex shapes, cutting each die individually regardless of shape, size, or position. It cuts wafers secured on backing tape frame for stability, a dry processing technique which eliminates water jet use for cooling as well as extra handling steps. No replacement parts or regular maintenance are required in the process.

In addition to all other benefits, BlackStar offers a range of safety features, including an enclosure with safe viewing windows that allow no accidental eyes and skin exposure to laser radiation, an interlocking device to deactivate the laser in open mode, a key control, emission indication and an emergency stop button.

About Fonon
Fonon is a diversified industrial laser equipment company with a continuously growing umbrella of building-block technologies supported by patents, licenses, next-generation hardware, and proprietary metal processing IP. The company is dedicated to advancing industrial technology and designing specialized 3D metal printing systems for manufacturing purposes, representing the fastest path to Manufacturing Readiness Level 10.

Contacts
Fonon Media Relations
1 (800) 520-3453
Marketing@fonon.com

ORLANDO, Fla. – Fonon, a multi-market holding company and developer of advanced laser material processing systems for subtractive and additive manufacturing, highlights the affordability of consumer products made with its Bulk-To-Shape (BTS) additive manufacturing technology, currently in development.

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, allows for rapid prototyping, quick customization and on-demand processing. Fonon’s BTS solutions, for instance, are designed to 3D-print prototypes in less than 24 hours. This allows for reduced time between design iterations, enabling manufacturers to bring products to market faster. Easy customization makes it possible to adapt quickly to changing consumer needs and trends. Such flexibility not only speeds up the production process but also lowers manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for expensive tooling. As a result, companies can offer more competitive pricing and cater to a wider range of customer preferences.

Design flexibility is another significant benefit of Fonon’s BTS systems. Traditional manufacturing constraints will no longer be a barrier, allowing designers to create complex and innovative components that were previously unimaginable. AM has already enabled consumer packaging companies to shrink development times from months to days. Fonon’s acceleration in the design process means that prototypes can be produced overnight and tested the next day. Once a final prototype is approved, the same equipment can be used for production, further reducing costs and time. Additionally, BTS reduces the number of parts required for a product, freeing up warehouse space and lowering labor costs.

Sustainability is also a major advantage of Fonon’s BTS technology. Unlike traditional manufacturing, which often involves reducing a larger block of material and generating waste, BTS printing adds layers of material, minimizing waste. Unused raw materials can be recycled or converted into AM-grade powder. Already, shoe companies have found that they can produce up to 60% less waste compared to traditional methods with AM. Fuel equipment manufacturers can produce nozzle tips as a single piece, reducing weight and waste. By minimizing waste and energy use, BTS processes prove more advantageous for the environment and more cost-effective for companies.

Distributed manufacturing is another transformative aspect of AM. Production no longer needs to be centralized; a Fonon BTS system can be set up near the point of end-use. Local production reduces logistics costs and time, making supply chains more resilient. It also allows for the production of customized, personalized products, making even small markets commercially viable. This capability is particularly impactful in consumer spaces such as smart homes, IoT, wearables, and consumer electronics. Even single items can be manufactured cost-effectively. The technology allows for maximum design freedom, enabling the creation of complex geometries and innovative products without additional costs. This is especially beneficial in sectors like medical and healthcare, where custom-made splints, supports, and even replacement human parts are being developed.

Specific applications of AM in consumer goods include jewelry, eyewear, bicycles, beauty and cosmetics, and consumer electronics. In jewelry, AM saves time and costs while ensuring perfect quality and reliability. Eyewear designers can experiment with new shapes and textures, producing small batches economically. Bicycle manufacturers can lower the cost of traditionally expensive materials like carbon fiber and titanium, while also experimenting with new shapes for better performance. In beauty and cosmetics, 3D printing optimizes designs, such as mascara brushes for better adhesion. 3D printing has already made significant strides in consumer electronics, with products like USB stick cases and keyboards becoming a reality. BTS technology allows for the creation of personalized electronic enclosures with complex shapes, assorted colors, graphics, and sizes. High-fidelity loudspeakers, which perform like large box speakers but are much smaller and more aesthetically pleasing, can also be developed using additive manufacturing (AM) systems.

In the semiconductor industry, BTS enables the optimal design, rapid iteration, and manufacturing of components with complex features, such as wafer tables with conformal cooling channels, part-consolidated end effectors, and advanced kinematic couplings and flexures for optical components. This improvement in semiconductor equipment accuracy, speed, reliability, and throughput leads to the production of more wafers at lower cost, benefitting every consumer product which requires a chip to function.

Fonon’s additive manufacturing solutions are poised to impact society in numerous ways. The team is looking forward to completing development and offering BTS 3D metal manufacturing technology to organizations seeking modern, cost-efficient ways to bring their biggest ideas to market.

For more information about Fonon’s transformational Bulk-To-Shape technology, please visit https://www.fonon.com.

Contacts
Fonon Corporation Media Relations
1 (800) 520-3453
Marketing@Fonon.com

ORLANDO, Fla., September, 13, 2024 – Fonon, a multi-market holding company, R&D center, equipment designer and manufacturer of advanced laser material processing systems for subtractive and additive manufacturing, highlights applications for its Quartz Laser Welding Technology (QLWT).

Fonon’s innovative QLWT transforms the manufacturing of quartz glass for a variety of uses, including in optical devices, lighting systems, refractory materials, and chemical apparatuses. QLWT technology enables monolithic welding of quartz glass, allowing for high-strength joints that maintain the material’s original properties.

Fonon’s QLWT technology benefits the design and manufacturing of devices with quartz glass as a fundamental component. The technology provides numerous benefits over traditional methods, such as achieving deeper and more precise welds, increasing the strength and durability of the end product, and minimizing material loss.

• Depth and Precision: Traditional gas or laser welding methods are limited to 2mm in weld thickness, after which they cause such component distortion that the part becomes unacceptable for required performance parameters. QLWT allows for welds up to 100mm deep, maintaining the characteristics of monolithic quartz glass.

• Strength and Durability: The technology produces welds with minimal stress and deformation of the material, resulting in greater strength and a higher melting point.
• Efficiency and Cost-Effectiveness: QLWT reduces production and handling damage, increases speed and quality, and minimizes manufacturing waste, leading to lower production costs.

Unparalleled increases in speed, precision and quality, plus a reduction in manufacturing waste and material loss, allow manufacturers to cut production time and costs, which is why the technology continues to gain momentum in the aerospace and astrophysical industries. The QLWT technology has also seen increased popularity in areas dealing with flat panel displays, optical devices, refractory materials, chemical apparatuses, semiconductors and electronic manufacturing.

For more information about Fonon’s Quartz Laser Welding Technology, please visit https://fonon.com.

About Fonon
Fonon is a diversified industrial laser equipment company with a continuously growing umbrella of building-block technologies supported by patents, licenses, next-generation hardware and proprietary metal processing IP. The company is dedicated to advancing industrial technology and designing specialized 3D metal printing systems for manufacturing purposes, representing the fastest path to Manufacturing Readiness Level 10.

Contacts
Fonon Media Relations
1 (844) 366-6624
Marketing@fonon.com

ORLANDO, Fla., August 30, 2024 – Fonon Corporation, a multi-market holding company, R&D center, equipment designer and manufacturer of advanced laser material processing systems for subtractive and additive manufacturing, highlights the benefits of its Bulk-To-Shape (BTS) additive manufacturing/3D metal printing technology for the metal forming and fabricating industries. The BTS technology is currently being developed by Fonon and has not been fully commercialized.

Advancements in digital manufacturing, materials, software and serial production are driving the trend toward scaling production through additive manufacturing (AM). Key to these scaling efforts are partnerships between machine makers like Fonon and providers of software and related technologies. Further, the intersection of 3D metal printing technologies with AI-based software platforms is increasingly enabling manufacturers to enhance the efficiency and quality of their 3D printing to meet industrial requirements and use AM for volume production of end parts, not just prototyping and design.

Leveraging its cutting-edge technology, Fonon is seizing a unique opportunity in a market with few frontrunners. The company is developing a system powered by BTS technology to offer metal formers and fabricators, as well as leaders in various other industries, a new material management method. This method recycles obsolete parts or raw materials into fully functional components, including those with intricate internal or external features, with minimal material loss.

Fonon’s high-volume BTS system is in development to be AI compatible. The integration of AI would significantly aid in visual recognition, data collection, redesign, and adjustment of processes in real time during fabrication. This technology is poised to prevent potential defects and refine the final output, reducing the costs and time needed for process optimization.

Experts acknowledge that scaling AM requires high-productivity printers coupled with an integrated end-to-end workflow solution that fits within existing production systems and optimizes the AM workflow from order entry to delivery. The goal is to create workflows that improve quality control, support more efficient, repeatable volume production and permit full traceability.

Additive manufacturing offers significant advantages, including customizable production, optimal material usage, efficient inventory management, time savings and the creation of lighter yet stronger components. When combined with AI, additive manufacturing can accelerate productivity in new ways, ushering in a new era of automated production. Bridging the gap between data preparation and actual printing is vital to harnessing the potential of full productivity.

For more information about Fonon Corporation’s transformational Bulk-To-Shape technology, please visit https://fonon.com.

About Fonon Corporation
Fonon Corporation is a diversified industrial laser equipment company with a continuously growing umbrella of building-block technologies supported by patents, licenses, next-generation hardware, and proprietary metal processing IP. The company is dedicated to advancing industrial technology and designing specialized 3D metal printing systems for manufacturing purposes, representing the fastest path to Manufacturing Readiness Level 10.

Contacts
Fonon Corporation Media Relations
1 (844) 366-6624
Marketing@fonon.com

U.S. Defense Program Has Set Its Goals for Broad Adoption of 3D Printing

ORLANDO, Fla. – Fonon Corporation’s innovative Bulk-To-Shape (BTS) technology, currently in development, aligns with the U.S. Department of Defense’s strategy to adopt and integrate additive manufacturing to ramp up rapid prototyping and end-use parts production. Fonon’s groundbreaking BTS technology is developed at the intersection of 3D metal printing and laser technology, and involves the reprocessing of raw or obsolete materials.

DOD’s strategy on additive manufacturing (AM), as unveiled in early 2021, outlined five goals to broaden the adoption of 3D printing: to develop guidance on integrating AM into the defense industrial base; to align AM activities with external partners; to advance agile use of AM; to expand proficiency and knowledge; and to secure AM workflows.

With its BTS technology in development, Fonon aims to capitalize on the integration of additive manufacturing within the DOD and the broader defense industrial supply chain. By reducing costs and lead times for hundreds of types of parts and components, BTS systems can streamline 3D metal printing activities and minimize the funding required for multiple defense production programs across various service branches.

Harnessing 3D printing for research and prototype production, along with the creation of complex geometries and easy customization, will significantly enhance the operational efficiency of defense systems. This technology will reduce costs that often hinder global-scale program planning and design. Moreover, it will accelerate technological dominance, ensuring that warfighters’ needs are met swiftly and effectively.

In multiple industries, including one or more early-adopting military branches, AM has fully proven to lead to significant savings in labor while lowering the need for part procurement, transportation, storage and assembly. It has also delivered major downtime reductions when replacement parts are needed. AM allows physical inventories to be replaced by digital inventories and new components to be produced on-demand and on-site.

Continuous investments in technology like BTS provide military product manufacturers with the added benefit of more sustainable operations. Faster development, shorter lead times, less resource-intensive production, and high-reusability materials contribute to reducing waste and minimizing carbon footprints. This approach fosters innovation in sustainable design, production, and distribution, helping manufacturers meet their sustainability goals. AM, as a key enabler of a circular economy, prioritizes the reuse of materials and products throughout the production line. This can significantly reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing, steering us toward a more sustainable future.

Fonon’s BTS systems, when fully commercialized, will empower defense manufacturing decision-makers to optimize existing part designs for enhanced performance and reliability. BTS exemplifies Fonon’s continuously expanding portfolio of building-block technologies supported by patents, licenses, next-generation hardware and proprietary metal processing intellectual property. This product family of specialized 3D metal printing systems for industrial and manufacturing purposes represents the fastest path to production readiness.

For more information about Fonon’s transformational Bulk-To-Shape technology, please visit https://fonon.com.

Contacts
Fonon Corporation Media Relations
1 (844) 366-6624
Marketing@Fonon.com

ORLANDO, Fla. – Fonon Corporation’s laser-powered BlackStar Wafer Dicing System helps semiconductor fabricators eliminate defects, distortions, cracks and chipping during wafer dicing. Powered by Fonon’s patented Fantom Width Laser Dicing (FWLD) technology, the innovative next-generation equipment effectively splits brittle materials with no material waste. The result: a higher die yield per wafer, with lower production time and costs involved.

The FWLD allows operators ito achieve precise molecular-level splitting of the material with minimal kerf width. The BlackStar’s automated single-step processing improves the quality of the cut edges – one of the critical criteria for fracture resistance. Increased die strength during integrated circuit packaging also directly impacts dependability and quality.

Fonon’s FWLD technology can produce variable size dies on the same wafer as well as dicing complex shapes. Each die can be cut individually regardless of shape, size, or position. The process can involve using a backing tape frame for stability, along with dry processing, which eliminates water use and extra handling steps. The BlackStar can dice a variety of semiconductor materials, including some compound materials.

Blackstar systems are user- and regulation-friendly while guaranteeing operational excellence. For these reasons, Fonon’s FWLD technology continues to gain momentum in this and other industries working with brittle materials. Fonon’s BlackStar is manufactured and sold by Laser Photonics.

About Fonon Corporation
Fonon Corporation is a diversified industrial laser equipment company with a continuously growing umbrella of building-block technologies supported by patents, licenses, next-generation hardware, and proprietary metal processing IP. The company is dedicated to advancing industrial technology and designing specialized 3D metal printing systems for manufacturing purposes, representing the fastest path to Manufacturing Readiness Level 10.

Contacts
Fonon Corporation Media Relations
1 (844) 366-6624
Marketing@fonon.com

ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 2, 2024 – Fonon Corporation’s Titan FX Laser Cutting System offers heavy equipment and machine part manufacturers a 10%-30% increase in speed and accuracy and a 10%-30% decrease in kerf loss over similar systems. They are also operator- and regulation-friendly and environmentally responsible, guaranteeing operational excellence, which aids their customers’ pursuit of sustainable market growth.

A flatbed multipurpose fiber laser cutting system — available in several sizes – Fonon’s Titan FX Laser Cutting System presents the most advanced, high-performance, reliable, cost-effective way for manufacturers of heavy equipment and machine parts to cut metals, including highly reflective metals.

Heavy equipment industries worldwide use highly reflective metals such as titanium, aluminum, stainless steel, nickel, brass and copper. Yet manufacturers who use traditional methods to process these metals often face challenges that can result in poor cut quality.

Fonon’s Titan laser cutting series can seamlessly process reflective metals and a multitude of other materials that competing systems have trouble addressing. The technology also excels at working with lightweight specialty metals, which can be equally challenging to work with.

Standout features of the Titan FX: CleanCut technology that produces a smaller heat-affected zone with minimal material alteration during cutting; an advanced motion control platform for smoother motion and reduced vibration during its operation; and low power consumption. It is a fully enclosed Class I laser: no harmful radiation can escape the system enclosure. Titan FX systems are also operator and regulation-friendly while guaranteeing operational excellence. For these reasons, Fonon’s Laser Cutting Technology continues to gain momentum for this and other industries working with highly reflective metals. This Fonon technology is manufactured and sold by Laser Photonics.

Contact
Fonon Corporation Media Relations
1 (800) 520-3453
Marketing@fonon.com

ORLANDO, Fla., July 26, 2024 – Fonon Corporation’s patented quartz laser welding technology (QLWT) allows operators to weld monolithic quartz glass effectively. Using this cutting-edge technology, it is possible to form welds with minimum stress in a weld zone, with none of the deformation normally present in such a process. The result is greater strength in welds created during manufacturing and fabrication.

Quartz glass structures are often used in applications where a wide transparency range and superior light transmittance are required. Examples include lighting systems and refractory components such as prisms, lenses, beam splitters, polarizers, windows, optical telescopes, mirrors and other devices. Traditional methods used during the welding of quartz glass structures can sometimes cause component distortion that makes the produced part fall short of the required performance parameters.

Fonon Corp’s technology reduces damage during production, leading to a better-finished product and fewer product failures in the field. Delivering greater speed, strength and quality than alternative methods while reducing manufacturing waste allows business owners to save time and cut costs. These benefits are the reason the technology continues to increase in popularity in the flat panel display, optical device, refractory material, semiconductor, electronics and aerospace industries. For more information about Fonon Corporation’s transformational quartz laser welding technology, please visit www.Fonon.com

Contacts
Fonon Corporation
Marketing@fonon.com

Shipbuilders Find Decisive Advantage With 3D Laser Metal Printing

ORLANDO, Fla. – Fonon Corporation’s Bulk-To-Shape (BTS) additive manufacturing technology, currently being developed, but not yet fully commercialized, will streamline both shipbuilding and maintenance in the maritime industry.

Fonon’s BTS systems will empower shipbuilders and MRO professionals with a groundbreaking new technology to produce parts, tools and components. These could include custom fittings, propellers, structural components, engine parts, and decorative elements, to name a few – all fully functional. The use of this additive manufacturing technology allows for rapid prototyping, the creation of complex geometries and easy customization.

In multiple industries, additive manufacturing has proven to lead to significant savings in labor while lowering the need for part procurement, transportation, storage and assembly. It has also been shown to reduce downtime when replacement parts are needed, leading to quicker procurement of essential components and a more sustainable supply chain with a reduced carbon footprint. Physical inventories will be replaced by digital inventories and new components and parts will be able to be produced on-demand.

Fonon’s BTS systems, when fully commercialized, will also empower users to optimize existing part designs for enhanced performance and reliability while also minimizing material waste. BTS exemplifies Fonon’s continuously growing umbrella of building-block technologies supported by patents, licenses, next-generation hardware and proprietary metal processing intellectual property. This product family of specialized 3D metal printing systems for industrial and manufacturing purposes represents the fastest path to production readiness. For more information about Fonon Corporation’s transformational Bulk-To-Shape technology, please visit https://fonon.com.

About Fonon Corporation
Fonon is a diversified industrial laser equipment company with a continuously growing umbrella of building-block technologies supported by patents, licenses, next-generation hardware, and proprietary metal processing IP. The company is dedicated to advancing industrial technology and designing specialized 3D metal printing systems for manufacturing purposes, representing the fastest path to Manufacturing Readiness Level 10.

Contacts
Fonon Corporation Media Relations
1 (844) 366-6624
Marketing@fonon.com