Keynote speakers

Dhruv has extensive experience of dealing with laser material processing, specifically in the EV industry. His expertise range from laser cleaning/texturing of cells for better adhesion to complex laser welding of dissimilar material assemblies like busbars, housings and the plastic structural parts. He has materialized laser material processing concepts successfully for all the three types of lithium ion cells (Cylindrical, Prismatic and pouch).

Currently, he is working as a senior joining technology specialist in the core development team of Valmet Automotive and is responsible for benchmarking various joining processes, implementation of new processes and finding innovative solutions to new challenges. He is also involved in the process of designing and materializing the cell internconnects for cylindrical cell packs.

Klaus Löffler is Managing Director at Precitec GmbH. He graduated from the IFSW University of Stuttgart. Since 1991 he is active in the laser industry starting as a laser development engineer. Many successful industrial laser applications in the industry have been based on his involvement. The cooperation between research institutes, industrial users on a global base in order to bring ideas in a fast way into usable products is his driving force. He is a Fellow of the Laser Institute of America, member of the Advisory Board and has been the President in 2013 and the General Chair of ICALEO 2023.

Dr. E.W. (Ted) Reutzel serves as Director of Penn State University’s Center for Additive Manufacturing (CIMP-3D), is an Associate Research Professor at the Applied Research Laboratory with appointments in Engineering Science & Mechanics, Mechanical Engineering, and Additive Manufacturing and Design.  Dr. Reutzel has led and supported numerous programs to investigate and implement metal additive manufacturing (AM) including: first ABS approved hybrid laser weld installed on a Navy ship; NAVAIR’s first flight demonstration of an flight critical PMFAM components; first NAVAIR-approved qualification test plan for DEDAM repair; and ongoing activities for first Navy qualification of an PBFAM component. He has numerous patents related to welding and AM, has chaired and co-chaired international conferences and workshops, contributed to books and numerous peer-reviewed publications.  Current research interests include AM process monitoring for machine learning-based quality assessment and control, process optimization for novel materials and material combinations, and AM implementation.

With over a decade of experience in a technology-driven international business environment, Teemu Tolonen brings a customer-oriented approach to every aspect of his work. Teemu’s core expertise lies in production automation, particularly in the welding industry. His diverse background encompasses roles in sales, sales support, project management, and engineering, enabling him to effectively bridge the gap between customer requirements and comprehensive technology solutions that deliver added value.

Chunlin Xu is Professor in Renewable Materials Chemistry at the Laboratory of Natural Materials Technology, Åbo Akademi University in Finland. His research activities are focused on the following topics: characterization of plant cell wall components, biomass processing, biopolymer chemistry and modification, and thus development of advanced biomaterials including using advanced fabrication techniques such as 3D printing.