On January 6, Panasonic (President: Kazuhiro Tsuga) announced to acquire TeraDiode Inc. (CEO: Parviz Tayebati) so called “TDI” of US laser manufacturer for industrial use.

All the shares of TDI will be acquired in January though no detail of purchase amount is disclosed. The acquisition will lead to enforcement of the laser processing business dealt with by Panasonic Welding Systems Co., Ltd. (President: Manabu Takahashi) which is a member company of the Group.

TDI established in 2009 is a global laser supplier of direct diode lasers (“DDL”) for industrial use which is said to be a laser light source for the next generation. The company has headquarters and plant in Wilmington, MA, U.S.A. and started collaboration with Panasonic in 2013 and sales activities from April 2014.

Panasonic Welding Systems’ laser welding robot system “LAPRISS” is equipped with the DDL oscillator of 4kW output using the wavelength synthesizing technology for which TDI possesses a patent called “WBC Technology”.

LAPPRISS is a flagship product which the company ranks as “a new business item to follow the current lineup of arc welder and arc-welding robot”, contributing to increases in automobile-related requirements and sheet metal working abroad. The company is also tackling to expand sales to the prospective laser processing business in general like the application to cutting or bonding of dissimilar materials as well as the laser welding field. Making the most of TDI’s technological power, the company will go ahead with responding to a variety of user needs.