“At nearly 11%, TRUMPF’s growth rate was above the
roughly 5–7% average for the laser industry,” says Peter
Leibinger, vice chairman of TRUMPF and president of its
Laser Technology and Electronics Division. “There was nota-
ble development in products related to the automotive and ma-
chine tool industries, high demand for cutting hot formed parts,
and an increase in laser welding applications in the automotive
industry with the best performers being our TruDisk lasers
and the TruLaser Cell 8030—a multi-axis laser system spe-
cifically designed for cutting hot-formed steel.”
Han’s Laser Technology’s (Shenzhen, China) revenues rose
markedly from nearly $480 million in 2010 to just more than
$675 million in 2012. However, revenues flattened out in 2013
at $667 million and net income shrank due to a cost-of-goods-
sold increase.
Newport Spectra-Physics (Irvine,
CA) saw sales increase 5.2% over the
nine-month period ended September
27, 2014 compared to the same period
last year due to growth in the scientific research ( 10.6%), microelectronics
(7%), life sciences ( 6.5%), and indus-
trial manufacturing ( 7.7%) markets
that buoyed a 15.9% decrease in the
defense and security sector.
And then there was IPG Photonics
(Oxford, MA), for which revenue grew
17% to $562.4 million for the nine
months ended September 30, 2014
compared to the same period in 2013
with “strong sales across IPG’s entire
fiber laser portfolio.”
ABOUT THE
NUMBERS
The estimates and forecasts of
laser shipments were based on
both supply and demand side
analyses by Strategies Unlimited,
a Penn Well business. Strategies
Unlimited has been conducting
market research in photonics
products for more than 30 years,
with specialties in lasers and
high-brightness LEDs. The effort
considered both quarterly trends
and long-term historical trends;
results were then compared and
adjusted to correct for known
errors. More information will
be available from Strategies
Unlimited and at the Lasers &
Photonics Marketplace Seminar
held in conjunction with SPIE
Photonics West in San Francisco
on Monday, February 9, 2015.
