The Worldwide Market for Lasers Trends and Five-Year Forecast (2017 – 2023) Table of Contents Chapter 1: Executive Summary & Totals ............................................................................................. 13 1.1 The Overall Laser Market ....................................................................................................... 13 1.2 Good News From 2017 .......................................................................................................... 13 1.3 Things Troubling in 2017 ....................................................................................................... 14 1.4 Historic Laser Revenue .......................................................................................................... 14 1.4.1 The Laser Market by Segment .......................................................................................... 15 1.5 Laser Market by Laser Type ................................................................................................... 20 1.5.1 Fiber Lasers .................................................................................................................... 21 1.5.2 Low-Power Diode Lasers .................................................................................................. 23 1.5.3 High-Power Laser Diodes ................................................................................................. 24 1.5.4 Solid-State Lasers ............................................................................................................ 25 1.5.5 CO2 Lasers ...................................................................................................................... 26 1.5.6 Excimer Lasers ................................................................................................................ 28 1.5.7 Quantum Cascade Lasers ................................................................................................. 28 1.5.8 Total Laser Revenue ........................................................................................................ 29 1.6 Laser Market Summary .......................................................................................................... 30 Chapter 2: Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 31 2.1 Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 31 2.2 Comparison of Laser Types .................................................................................................... 31 2.2.1 Solid-State lasers............................................................................................................. 32 2.2.2 Lamp-Pumped Solid-State Lasers (LPSSLs) ........................................................................ 33 2.2.3 Diode-Pumped Solid-State Lasers (DPSSLs) ....................................................................... 34 2.2.4 Thin-Disk Lasers .............................................................................................................. 34 2.2.5 Slab Lasers ..................................................................................................................... 34 2.2.6 OPSLs ............................................................................................................................ 35 2.2.7 Fiber Lasers .................................................................................................................... 35 2.2.8 Quantum-Cascade Lasers ................................................................................................. 36 2.2.9 CO2 Lasers ...................................................................................................................... 36 2.2.10 Excimer Lasers ................................................................................................................ 38 2.2.11 Other Laser Types ........................................................................................................... 38 2.3 Pulsed Lasers ........................................................................................................................ 38 2.3.1 Pump or Seed Modulation ................................................................................................ 39 2.3.2 Q-Switching .................................................................................................................... 39 2.3.3 Mode-Locking ................................................................................................................. 39 2.3.4 Ultrafast Pulses ............................................................................................................... 40 2.4 Eye-Safe Operation ............................................................................................................... 40 Chapter 3: KW Materials Processing.................................................................................................... 41 3.1 Highlights ............................................................................................................................. 41 3.2 Background .......................................................................................................................... 42 Copyright © 2018 a research unit of 3 3.2.1 Segment Definition .......................................................................................................... 42 3.2.2 Prices for Laser-Based Machine Tools ................................................................................ 42 3.2.3 A Comment on Beam Quality ............................................................................................ 42 3.2.4 Laser Type ...................................................................................................................... 43 3.3 Laser Metal Cutting ............................................................................................................... 43 3.3.1 Laser Metal Cutting is Both a High Value and High-Volume Application ................................. 43 3.3.2 Lasers Provide a Big Advantage Over Other Tools for Metal Cutting ..................................... 43 3.3.3 Job Shops Buy Most of These Lasers ................................................................................. 44 3.3.4 2D Laser Cutters ............................................................................................................. 44 3.3.5 3D Laser Cutters ............................................................................................................. 44 3.3.6 Laser Tube Cutters .......................................................................................................... 44 3.3.7 Fiber Lasers .................................................................................................................... 45 3.3.8 Power Levels and Fiber vs. CO2 ........................................................................................ 45 3.3.9 Fiber Laser Revenue Will Well Exceed CO2 Revenue in 2017 ................................................ 45 3.3.10 Lamp Pumped Solid-State Lasers ...................................................................................... 46 3.3.11 Direct Diode Lasers ......................................................................................................... 46 3.3.12 Thin Metal vs. Thick Metal Cutting .................................................................................... 46 3.4 Metal Welding and Brazing ..................................................................................................... 47 3.4.1 Auto Industry .................................................................................................................. 47 3.4.2 2D vs. 3D Welding ........................................................................................................... 47 3.4.3 Alternatives to Laser Welding ........................................................................................... 48 3.4.4 Fiber Lasers Offer New Opportunities ................................................................................ 48 3.4.5 Disk Lasers ..................................................................................................................... 49 3.4.6 CO2 Lasers ...................................................................................................................... 49 3.4.7 Solid-State Lasers ............................................................................................................ 50 3.4.8 Direct Diode Lasers ......................................................................................................... 50 3.4.9 Power Levels................................................................................................................... 50 3.4.10 Fiber and Switched Fiber Delivery ..................................................................................... 51 3.5 Surface Treatment and Other Processes .................................................................................. 51 3.5.1 Surface Treatment Processes ........................................................................................... 51 3.5.2 Heat Treatment and Other Surface Treatment Processes .................................................... 51 3.5.3 Laser Cladding ...............................................................................................................