As we all know, the laser was first born in the United States, and the laser industry chain is also perfect in the United States, the earliest batch of well-known laser companies are from overseas. And now China's laser market localization trend has been revealed, in the laser industry under a number of sub-fields, domestic laser equipment have gained an advantageous position, not only to grasp the right to speak in the domestic market, but also began to mature foreign market penetration.
As a "late starter" of Chinese laser enterprises, how to break through in a few decades to catch up with overseas advanced level? This has paid several generations of arduous efforts. During the past three decades, several key time nodes belonging to the history of China's laser, which is the epitome of the iterative turnover of the laser industry.
1993 - Laser Gyro
China in 1993, the spring breeze of reform and opening up was at that time, the concept of modern life is gradually entering thousands of households. The establishment of the market economic system also brought about a series of far-reaching changes.
The "863" program and the assertion that "science and technology are the first productive forces" started the long road of catching up and surpassing China's science and technology. Tens of thousands of scientists in various different areas of cooperation, their own research, including laser technology, was included in the "863 program" one of the first seven areas.
Laser gyro, don't look at the name is inconspicuous, but it is a no-brainer "big country". Laser gyro is also known as ring laser, can play an important role in military guidance.
Laser gyro field, the United States is the undoubted pioneer. Laser gyro not only integrates the light, machine, electricity, arithmetic and many other high technology, but also involves ultra-high-precision polishing, very low-loss coating and other cutting-edge technology, the lack of experience in the field of laser for the difficulty of China is comparable to the sky. Because of its military sensitivity, the United States of America on its long-term blockade, the Chinese laser people face a tight technical blockade, want to learn from it is also no way to start.
Gao Bolong under the leadership of the Harbin Institute of Military Engineering (predecessor of the University of National Defense Technology) group took over this impossible task. In order not only to "catch up", but also to "surpass" the goal, Gao Bolong abandoned the U.S. "two-frequency differential laser gyroscope" program, directly proposed the independent development of the "Four-frequency differential gyro program.
Thirty years of chasing light - three nodes to see the process of laser localization
Academician Gao Bolong.
After night and day research by Gao Bolong and his team, they finally came up with a mature program of laser gyro prototype in 1993. However, the prototype had problems again at the last minute, and the problem could not be found for a while. Gao Bolong resisted the pressure, the problem is locked in the coating process, and in 1994 came up with a new mature solution.
Thus, China became the fourth country capable of independently developing laser gyros after the United States, Russia and France. Later, the laser gyro was equipped on the "Dongfeng" missile system, which became an important means of defending national security.
China's laser technology upgrading road, this time has just begun.
2003 - Laser Full Color Projection Display
It is hard to imagine that twenty years ago, China's GDP was only the sixth largest in the world, ranking behind the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain and France, and only 14% of that of the United States. Under the precise positioning of satellites, the U.S. Army's vehicle-mounted laser weapons in the Iraqi battlefield, many overseas technologies represented by lasers, in the eyes of the Chinese people, are just like "Zenith technology" from a different dimension.
Naturally, China at that time does not have its own laser display technology, and even color TV, for some relatively underdeveloped areas belong to a family's "big stuff. 2003, Konka produced China's first 42-inch LCD TV, which at that time has become China's largest screen of a color TV. In the same year, "Shenzhou" No. 5 manned spacecraft returned successfully, many rural families had to dozens of families together, in front of the TV to watch this exciting scene.
However, laser display technology with its important position, has long been included in the "863" program. From the "Ninth Five-Year Plan", the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have paid great attention and technical support to the research and development of laser display technology. The team led by Academician Xu Zuyan overcame the difficulties and was the first to realize laser full-color projection display in September 2003 in China under the joint efforts of five institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Subsequently, relevant prototypes were developed, which were appraised to have reached the level of overall synchronization with the international level.
Thirty years of chasing light - three nodes to see the process of laser localization
Academician Xu Zuyan.
Nearly two decades later, on the stage of the closing ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, a willow tree composed of laser rose from the center of the stage, and a folded willow sent the Chinese people's sentiment of "folding the willow to send love", and also showed the bright charm of laser display technology. The localization and application of this promising technology will bring a new "display revolution".
Thirty years of chasing light - three nodes to see the process of laser localization
2013 - The first 10,000-watt continuous laser
Entering the second decade of the 21st century, China's manufacturing industry, after a long period of rough development, there are some good news, there are also some hidden worries.
In 2011, China's total industrial output value was 2.9 trillion dollars, while the U.S. total industrial output value was 2.4 trillion dollars, China's industrial output value exceeded the United States for the first time. However, until 2013, the proportion of China's high-end equipment manufacturing industry for the first time more than 10%, high-tech products are few and far between, restricting the profitability of China's manufacturing enterprises, and fiber lasers, is China's manufacturing industry for a long time, "one of the short board".
Fiber laser is an important part of the laser industry, represented by IPG overseas enterprises have long monopolized the domestic market, especially 10,000-watt laser, a 10,000-watt fiber laser, the highest once sold to 7 million yuan. Although some domestic enterprises have the ability to produce some of the accessories, and even take part of the market share in order to win, however, the long-term lack of core technology has led to the fiber laser industry chain as a whole is still restricted.
Wuhan has always been the vanguard of the development of manufacturing industry, is located in nine provinces through the thoroughfare of Wuhan, created the Dongfeng Automobile, China Baowu and other well-known enterprises, but also gave birth to the famous China Optical Valley. 21st century in Wuhan, in the relevant policies to support the technical support of many colleges and universities, the rise of a number of laser companies here, where also hosts a breakthrough in the hope of the people of the 10,000 watts of the barriers of the laser.
Wuhan China Optics Valley Future Science and Technology City.
Take Ruike Laser as an example. As early as 2007, Dr. Yan Dapeng, who returned from overseas, founded Ruike Laser in Wuhan, which is one of the first fiber laser development enterprises in China. At the beginning of the establishment, Ruike Laser adheres to the belief of "making China's own high-quality fiber laser", and takes breaking the monopoly of the fiber industry and filling the blanks of the industry as its own responsibility, and continues to invest in the field of high-power fiber lasers.
In 2013, Ruike Laser finally overcame the core technology of 10,000-watt laser and successfully developed China's first 10,000-watt continuous fiber laser, which is an important milestone in the history of China's fiber laser development.
From then on, 10,000 watts is no longer a distant dream, 10,000 watts of lasers gradually down to the ground, used in related enterprises across the country, and the price has been reduced again and again.
Now, countless laser people perseverance, finally blossomed in the fiber optic industry. 2022 domestic fiber laser market share of 97.3%, the monopoly of foreign enterprises in the fiber laser market situation is gone, and the power continues to improve, the technology is more excellent domestic fiber laser, but also for the machining of a new possibility.
2023 - unfinished business
Entering 2023, laser has become a shining business card of China's manufacturing industry. Represented by Shenzhen, Wuhan and Jinan, a large number of excellent laser enterprises have emerged, capable of providing laser services for the whole industry chain, which has profoundly changed the pattern of the manufacturing industry.
Under the new situation, many enterprises have also begun to shift from simple production assistance to intelligent solutions to help users refine the problem. Such as is located in shenzhen chuangxin laser, using "lane change" strategy to jump out of the 10,000 watt volume, in 2023 the new release of the purple flute named "digital spot" process technology, but also for the industry as a whole to provide the ability to customize lasers. in 2023, the big family of laser to set up a wholly owned subsidiary in the United States. Laser to set up a wholly owned subsidiary in the United States, in foreign markets, Chinese laser companies also gradually have a place.
Open, aggressive, self-confident laser enterprises, concentrated in the Chinese manufacturing industry for thirty years of the transformation of the course. I believe that in the "Made in China" to "China Smart Manufacturing" upgrading road, the laser will still play an important role in guiding the manufacturing industry for the new era to lead the way.
