Strategies Unlimited forecasts worldwide fiber laser revenue to exceed $1B in 2014

Strategies Unlimited (Mountain View, CA) has just published its latest laser report, Fiber Lasers: Market Review and Forecast 2014. Fiber lasers have been the fastest-growing laser type for the last several years because they are durable, relatively inexpensive, have a long life, require less ongoing maintenance, and are very power-efficient. Initially, fiber lasers competed in the industrial infrared (IR) wavelength segment, but newer laser technology is opening up opportunities for fiber lasers in the UV, visible, and mid-IR wavelengths. This report covers the growing opportunities of fiber and contains a 5-year forecast for each segment.

Fiber lasers have existed for almost as long as the laser itself, but they weren’t a commercial success until IPG Photonics, looking for alternative sources of revenue, invested heavily in the fiber laser market after seeing its telecom revenue rapidly drop in 2000. Today, IPG Photonics is the largest producer of fiber lasers and is largely responsible for their overall success, but as the popularity of the fiber laser increased, so has the number of applications the fiber laser could perform. This has opened up many opportunities for a wide array of laser companies that compete in a variety of fiber laser markets. In 2014, total fiber laser revenue worldwide will exceed $1 billion for the first time.

This report explores many of the wide-ranging fiber laser applications and looks at the present markets and future markets for fiber lasers in both industrial and non-industrial areas. Estimates and 5-year forecasts are included for fiber lasers used in KW+ applications (metal cutting, welding, and others), micro materials (semiconductors, solar, adaptive manufacturing, fine metal work), marking and engraving, printing, medical, military, sensors, and research and development.