self-aligned laser processing
SCANalign® is SCANLAB’s new vision solution tailored to
the special demands of high-precision laser processing.
SCANalign® accomplishes much more than merely taking
through-the-scan-head images:
• Precisely measure positions and distances in the scan
head’s working field
• Automatically align laser processes without requiring
exactly positioned workpieces
• Record and analyze undistorted images before and after
laser processing
• Calibrate the complete working field with high accuracy
Want to know more about SCANalign®’s advantages?
Then simply contact us!
We make your images go
through our head
Visit us at Photonics West 2017, Booth #2223
San Francisco, CA • January 31 – February 2
alignSCAN
www.industrial-lasers.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 Industrial Laser Solutions 11
process three decades ago. Year-in/year-out, this sector grew regardless of economic situations because it is a process that is so ubiquitous that it has become a commodity akin to a copy machine. And
like printers, the unit selling price has declined annually as more companies offer equipment globally. Although revenues have slipped into
the minus column over the years (TABLE 3), unit sales continue to grow
as applications such as marking produce and eggs claim new sales.
CO2 laser revenues for marking/engraving have also felt the pinch
of new competition driving down unit selling prices. And low-power
fiber laser gains (47% of the total) in the market have also impacted
CO2 laser as well as solid-state laser sales, both of which fell into
negative territory this year.
Last year, ILS published seven editorial features on laser mark-
ing, three of which dealt with marking highly reflective materials
and two introduced UFP/ultraviolet (UV) laser marking of difficult
materials. These new laser marking processes bode well for continued growth in the marking sector.
Microprocessing
Microprocessing revenues (TABLE 4) rose 23.5%, a disproportionate increase (102.8%) mostly attributed to the excimer laser OLED
display annealing application described earlier. For this report,
only shipments made in 2016, the beginning of a multi-year delivery schedule by supplier Coherent, were included. Without these
2015 REV. 2016 EST. 2017 PROJ.
CO2 $181.7 $181.4 $176.0
y-to-y -0.2% - 3.0%
SOLID-STATE $50.2 $49.4 $49.7
y-to-y - 1.6% 0.6%
FIBER $252.0 $265.4 $274.4
y-to-y 5.3% 3.4%
DIODE $59.2 $64.0 $68.4
y-to-y 8.1% 6.9%
TOTAL $543.1 $560.2 $568.5
y-to-y 3.1% 1.5%
Source: Laser Markets Research/Strategies Unlimited
TABLE 4. Laser revenues for microprocessing ($M)
2015 REV. 2016 EST. 2017 PROJ.
SOLID-STATE $182.4 $172.4 $176.0
y-to-y - 5.5% 2.1%
FIBER $326.7 $386.4 $413.4
y-to-y 18.3% 7.0%
CO2 $210.1 $190.2 $203.5
y-to-y - 9.5% 7.0%
EXCIMER/OTHER $175.5 $356.0 $505.5
y-to-y 102.8% 42.0%
TOTAL $894.8 $1,105.0 $1,298.5
y-to-y 23.5% 17.5%
Source: Laser Markets Research/Strategies Unlimited
