The history of laser technology

The first laser
The history of the development of lasers goes back to Max Planck and Albert Einstein. In 1917 Einstein developed the concept of stimulated emission, which became part of the acronym LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation). However a great deal more groundwork was needed before finally in 1960, Theodore H. Maiman succeeded in developing the first ruby laser. At first this development received hardly any recognition, and industry did not seem to know what to do with this new invention. ‘Laser is a solution looking for a problem’ was a common description of the situation. It was not until some twenty years later that laser technology was widely adopted, initially for drilling and cutting materials, and only another ten years later did the consistent use of laser technology begin in the mass production of cars. Laser welding in particular brought revolutionary advances in car body production and led to considerable weight savings.

The laser engraver
Stork Prints Austria began very early on, in the mid-1980s, with the groundwork for the direct engraving of printing forms. The laser engraver was completed as early as 1986. This immediately received great attention internationally. Only a year later the Austrian Minister of Trade and Commerce awarded the founder of the business, Siegfried Rückl, the annual prize for innovation. In a very short time, this type of direct engraving caught on all over the world. In parallel to this, the necessary peripheral equipment was being developed at Stork Prints Austria, such as for example large scanners and graphics stations in which sample data in the gigabyte range can be processed.

Laser engraving for carpets
In the mid-1990s, the technology of direct engraving was also extended very successfully to the carpets industry and introduced worldwide.

Direct engraving with lasers for the flexo market
Shortly after the millennium, Stork Prints Austria began to introduce this technology into the flexo field. Here too, the success story of this unique enterprise has continued to distinguish itself.