Experts and Entrepreneurs Heatedly Discuss: Pushing Forward in New Tracks, Heading Towards the "New Golden Decade" of the Laser Industry

Hubei Daily All Media Reporter Li Yuan Intern Zhu Xiaoyi

"Our country's laser industry has approached its limits in terms of depth and breadth in the field of laser cutting. We need to find new tracks with high added value and repeat the path of making laser cutting bigger and stronger." On May 17th, at the 2024 World Laser Industry Conference, one of the sub-forums of the 2024 China Optics Valley · Photoelectric Industry Conference, Yan Dapeng, Vice Chairman of Raycus Laser, said.

With the continuous deepening of laser applications, laser cutting, laser welding, fiber optic communication, laser radars, laser beauty, and more have emerged, and our country's laser industry has experienced a "golden decade."

Data shows that in 2023, the sales revenue of China's laser equipment market reached 91 billion yuan, approaching the trillion yuan mark.

Heading towards the "new golden decade," how should the laser industry break through? At the conference site, many experts and entrepreneurs expressed that they should focus on new tracks, moving towards high-end and innovative development.

Professor Qiu Jianrong from Zhejiang University elaborated on his views on the development of water-guided laser technology. Water-guided laser, also known as laser microjet or micro waterjet laser, is an advanced laser processing technology with advantages such as high processing accuracy, high cutting quality, green, efficient, and non-damaging. It can be used in new energy, smart grids, aerospace, semiconductors, and other fields. "Throughout the history of the development of China's laser industry, especially the process of promoting fiber lasers from scratch and from existence to strength, we are fully capable of achieving breakthroughs in technology and products through independent innovation."

"We already have the strength to replace domestic products in the field of laser processing of anode and cathode materials for new energy vehicles." Liu Jian, General Manager of Shenzhen JPT Optoelectronics, said that in order to ensure vehicle safety, leading domestic battery manufacturers have proposed strict requirements for the length of the battery tab burr to be less than 40 microns. JPT has come up with a solution with its strong technical R&D capabilities, becoming the only choice in the market, with a domestic market share of over 90%. In Liu Jian's view, targeting industry needs and focusing on them is the key reason for JPT's success in customer acquisition.

Gu Bo, Academician of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and Fellow of the International Society for Optical Engineering, suggested that the laser industry should not only strengthen equipment capabilities but also optimize stability. "Technical indicators primarily solve the issue of usability, while stability determines the ease of use of the equipment."

Chen Yan, Vice President of Han's Laser, said that entering the "new golden decade" of the laser industry, relying solely on cost competition is difficult to establish a foothold in the market and is not conducive to the overall healthy development of the industry.

"Cost is not the core competitiveness; technology is." Deng Jiake, General Manager of Huagong Laser, stated that China's laser industry must aim for high-end, intelligent, green, and international directions.

China Optics Valley is the birthplace of China's laser industry, now gathering well-known companies such as Huagong Laser, Raycus Laser, DR Laser, and Yifei Laser, making it one of China's largest laser industry bases.