In 2024, Shenzhen Gongda Laser Co., Ltd. stood out from more than 100 shortlisted technologies with its 1000W single-mode continuous green fiber laser and won the nomination award for China's Top Ten Optical Industry Technologies in 2023. This product, independently developed by Gongda Laser and using the all-fiber fundamental frequency plus extra-cavity frequency doubling technology solution, is the world's highest-power continuous green fiber laser product in 2023. We took this opportunity to invite Huang Guoxi, deputy general manager of Gongda Laser, to tell us about the road of overcoming difficulties for this "young high-tech enterprise".

01 “Take another step forward”

Gongda Laser was founded in late 2019. Since its establishment, it has been focusing on the research and development and manufacturing of high-power short-wavelength fiber lasers. In just less than five years, Gongda Laser has achieved remarkable results. It has successfully launched a number of core products, including sub-nanosecond green lasers with a power of 50-500W, continuous green lasers with a power of 100-3000W, and ultraviolet nanosecond pulse fiber lasers with a power of 10-100W. The technical indicators of these products have reached the world-class level.

Huang Guoxi recalled the company's development history with deep emotion: "From the beginning, we have made it clear that we must focus on the new track of research and development and manufacturing of high-power fiber short-wavelength lasers. But at that time, the products in this field were almost blank in China, facing many technical challenges and full of thorns. But the excellent characteristics of fiber green light make us sure of its huge application potential in future industrial development."

When Gongda Laser was established, the photovoltaic field had already shown a huge application demand for fiber green lasers, and the main supplier was IPG in the United States, which almost monopolized the pulsed fiber green light market.

In addition, from the perspective of market development, the imported fiber lasers were expensive at the time. After the rapid development in the 10 years from 2010 to 2020, the domestic fiber laser industry has made great progress. From raw materials, optical devices, amplification systems, control systems, processing equipment, the entire industrial chain of the domestic fiber laser industry has gradually achieved domestic substitution. In 2020, infrared fiber lasers have shown signs of being relatively complete, and not many new technologies have emerged.

"So we chose to take another step forward. In the summer when the epidemic was still raging, we quietly started the journey of high-power fiber green light."

"In the past few years, although the process has been difficult, we have also achieved some results. From the product point of view, we have made a series of high-power green lasers; from the application point of view, our products have gradually created revenue for end customers in related fields such as consumer electronics, semiconductors, 3D printing, and lithium-ion photovoltaics.

"Infrared fiber lasers occupy the vast majority of the current laser processing market, but we have also found that there are many areas where they perform poorly, and these areas may be opportunities for our short-wavelength lasers." Huang Guoxi added: "The structure of green lasers is more complex than infrared lasers, and the cost is higher than that of ordinary fiber infrared lasers. If conventional infrared lasers can completely solve the problem, there is no need for green lasers. We do not mean that green light can completely replace infrared lasers, but green lasers will only be used when there are new and higher precision requirements, less thermal impact, and when people are willing to pay more for higher quality. Compared with infrared lasers, green light lasers are more inclined to high-end applications, and many new fields have emerged. At present, there is still a lot of room for growth.

02 Innovate and make breakthroughs

The 1000W single-mode continuous green fiber laser, which won the nomination award for China's Top Ten Optical Industry Technologies in 2023, can be said to be the star product of Gongda Laser.

"It is mainly used for precision welding, such as welding of large cylindrical battery full-ear (copper foil), welding of multi-layer ear and battery pole, welding of large cylindrical battery cap pole, etc. This application stems from practical needs, and these applications can achieve better results with green light welding."

Before the emergence of this product, most of the industry used 1 μm band infrared fiber lasers, but because of the weak absorption of copper and the sharp change of absorption rate with temperature (4%-17%), in the processing of copper materials, infrared fiber lasers have the disadvantages of large spatter, pores, cracks, large heat impact, and uncontrollable melting depth.

At room temperature, the absorption rate of copper to near-infrared wavelengths (about 1 μm) is less than 5%, which is equivalent to 95% of the laser being reflected. The absorption rate of copper to green light wavelengths (515 nm or 532 nm) exceeds 40%, which is nearly an order of magnitude higher than the near-infrared band. Compared with the common 1μm band near-infrared laser, the short wavelength of the green laser naturally has a lower beam divergence angle and a smaller focused spot, so it has a natural advantage in processing.

As the highest power single-mode continuous green laser product currently independently developed in China, the 1000 W single-mode continuous green fiber laser fills the domestic market gap in this category and provides a new solution for copper material processing.

However, Gongda Laser's pace has not slowed down. Following the launch of the 500W single-mode green laser in 2022 and the 1000W single-mode and 3000W multi-mode continuous green lasers in 2023, Gongda Laser will launch a new green fiber laser with a maximum output power of nearly single-mode 2 kilowatts in 2024. It has been tested and verified by terminal-related industry customers, becoming the world's first manufacturer that can provide nearly 2 kilowatts of single-mode continuous green laser products.

"The new product provides more sufficient energy for the processing of high-reflective materials, and the near-single-mode output ensures the high quality and consistency of the laser beam, which is expected to bring higher welding quality, higher efficiency and deeper penetration to thick copper processing."

Huang Guoxi said: "We hope that through continuous technological innovation, our products will play a key role in the photovoltaic lithium battery, semiconductor, 3D printing and 3C industries, and become an important force in promoting the development of these industries."

At present, Gongda Laser's green lasers are divided into two lines: one is a high-power pulsed green laser, which is mainly used in precision cutting and precision surface treatment in various fields; the other is a high-power continuous green laser, which is mainly used in precision welding, precision molding, precision heat treatment, etc. in various fields.

03 Riding the wind and waves, born for demand

When talking about future plans, Huang Guoxi said: "In terms of product planning, we have a clear goal to produce single-mode green light products at the multi-kilowatt level, empower downstream industries, and help them achieve some processes that were originally impossible.

"For example, in the field of 3D printing, there was no 3D printing equipment for copper or gold in China before. Many copper materials need to be made into parts by die-casting or complex processes before splicing, but the parts made in this way are not satisfactory in terms of function, and their accuracy and overall effect will be greatly reduced. Copper 3D printing is a very important business direction of Xihe Additive Industry, a subsidiary of Gongda Laser. In this new sub-segment, due to clear demand, we have received many related orders in the past two years and achieved some results. ”

Under the circumstance of the industry being in dire straits, Gongda Laser rushed forward and received four rounds of financing in three years.

"I am a technical person," Huang Guoxi said about his views on the future of the green laser market: "From a technical point of view, I am very confident in the current application of short-wavelength light sources. It has advantages in physical properties, which makes green lasers show great advantages in many applications; from the market point of view, whether a product can open up the market depends mainly on how many applications it can match and whether it can provide customers with the ultimate cost-effectiveness. "

"According to the current development momentum, China will still be the world's largest industrial country. With the continuous upgrading of industry and the continuous improvement of product requirements, green lasers will meet the market demand more and with higher quality; so I am optimistic about the future demand of the laser industry, and green lasers will usher in a market of billions or even tens of billions. ”

In 2023, Gongda Laser will ship nearly 1,000 green lasers, with sales exceeding 100 million yuan. In the domestic high-power fiber green light application market, Gongda Laser has become the leading green laser supplier in China.

However, the new world of fiber green light will also welcome more explorers. Huang Guoxi said that as far as we know, Gongda Laser is not the only company in China that makes green lasers.

“We believe that more companies participating in research and development in this direction and full competition are good for the development of the entire industry. From another perspective, it also shows that this is a path that more and more people agree with. ”

“Next, we will focus on the fields of semiconductors, 3D printing, and photovoltaic lithium battery manufacturing, aiming to become the most professional supplier of short-wavelength fiber lasers and their application solutions in the world, and then make more outstanding contributions to the global intelligent manufacturing industry. ”