Laser as a new light source invented in the last century, it has good directionality, high brightness, monochromaticity and high energy density, etc., has been widely used in industrial production, communication, information processing, health care, military, culture and education as well as scientific research and other aspects. According to statistics, from the high-end optical fiber to the common bar code scanner, the annual market value of laser-related products and services up to trillions of dollars. China's laser products are mainly used in industrial processing, occupying more than 40% of the market space.
Laser processing, as the most commonly used application of laser systems, the main technologies include laser welding, laser cutting, surface modification, laser marking, laser drilling, micromachining and photochemical deposition, stereolithography, laser etching and so on.
Laser processing equipment is the use of laser processing technology to transform the traditional manufacturing industry, one of the key technical equipment, the main products include various types of laser marking machine, welding machine, cutting machine, scribing machine, engraving machine, heat treatment machine, three-dimensional molding machine, as well as the gross machine. These products have been or are entering the industrial sector.
From the application of global laser products, the material processing industry is still its main application market, accounting for 35.2%; the communications industry ranked second, accounting for 30.6%; in addition, the data storage industry occupies the third place, accounting for 12.6%.
In 2011, global sales of laser industrial processing equipment enjoyed strong double-digit growth. According to Industrial Laser Solutions (ILS), global sales of laser systems in 2011 amounted to $7.060 billion, up 16% year-on-year, of which $1.956 billion was generated by lasers, up 18% year-on-year.
In 2011, growth in all areas of laser applications slowed year-on-year, but the entertainment and display market became a new growth point for the industry, driven by smartphones, tablet PCs, 3D TVs, touchscreens, LEDs and TFT LCDs.
Between 2005 and 2011, China's laser processing equipment, faster growth, the average annual growth rate of more than 20%, much higher than the world's average annual growth rate of laser processing equipment. 2008, in the adjustment of the structure, pulling the domestic demand and other measures to stimulate, China's laser in the railroad locomotive, engineering machinery, military, new energy and other industries to obtain a substantial increase in the application of the industry.
"2014-2018 China Laser Processing Equipment Manufacturing Industry Production and Sales Demand Forecast and Transformation and Upgrading Analysis Report" survey data show that in 2009, the scale of China's laser processing equipment industry reached 4.6 billion yuan in 2010 exceeded 5.5 billion yuan in 2011, about 6 billion yuan, the laser processing equipment market has shown a stable, high-speed growth trend. It is expected that during the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" period, the average annual growth rate of China's laser processing equipment industry market size will be more than 20%, the market size is expected to exceed 13 billion yuan.
The development of laser processing equipment industry to promote the development and progress of science and technology, promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries and accelerate the modernization of national defense technology plays a positive role.