Trends and Applications of Laser Precision Manufacturing in 2025

Trends and Applications of Laser Precision Manufacturing in 2025

Laser precision manufacturing, as one of the core technologies in modern manufacturing, is demonstrating diversified and high-end development trends driven by technological innovation and market demand. Laser precision processing equipment is evolving towards intelligence and integration.

In terms of intelligence, sensors and control systems enable real-time monitoring and precise control of the processing. Integration combines control systems, processing techniques and laser devices to achieve the unification of optical, mechanical, electrical and material processing, thereby improving production efficiency and processing quality.

Application Fields

Micro/nano manufacturing and optical component processing: In micro/nano manufacturing, it is used to produce microelectronic devices and micro-mechanical components. In optical component processing, it can manufacture high-precision optical lenses, gratings, etc., ensuring the surface quality, shape accuracy and optical performance of optical components.

Automotive manufacturing field: In cutting applications, it enables high-precision cutting of automotive components to create complex shapes with narrow kerfs and minimal material waste. In welding applications, it achieves precise welding of vehicle body joints such as roof-to-side panel connections and door inner panel-to-body frame connections, reducing body deformation and enabling lightweight design.

Aerospace field: In drilling applications, it is used to create cooling holes in aircraft engines to ensure engine stability and efficiency. For structural component manufacturing, it can cut and weld aerospace materials such as titanium alloys and aluminum alloys to produce aircraft wings, fuselage frames and other components.

Electronic device manufacturing: In chip manufacturing, laser etching technology enables high-precision circuit pattern etching on microelectronic chips. For interconnections, it provides precise bonding between chips and circuit substrates, ensuring connection stability and electrical performance.

Medical device manufacturing: In cutting applications, it processes implantable medical devices and surgical tools such as catheters and needles. For welding, it assembles miniature components in pacemakers and surgical blades. For marking, it permanently etches company logos and product information on medical devices.

New energy sector: In photovoltaics, it is used in production of high-efficiency solar cells including PERC, TOPCon, IBC, HJT and perovskite to improve conversion efficiency and reduce costs. In new energy vehicles, it enables precision welding of key components including LiDAR systems and power battery cells/PACK modules.

Shipbuilding and bridge construction: It performs high-precision cutting to ensure vertical and smooth edges on ship plates and pipes. It also enables intelligent welding by combining vision recognition and robotic adaptive programming to improve welding quality and efficiency.

Technical Performance

High precision level: The laser beam can be focused to very small dimensions, enabling high precision in precision machining. For example, in laser precision machining mainly targeting thin plates (0.1-1.0mm), the machining accuracy generally reaches the ten-micron level. In specific micro/nano manufacturing scenarios, micron or even nanometer-level machining accuracy has been achieved. In the manufacturing process of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), laser precision machining technology can produce extremely small mechanical structures and sensor components.

Multiple coexisting processing techniques: Laser precision machining encompasses numerous rapidly developing process types, including drilling, cutting, welding, etching, surface treatment, etc.

In drilling applications, lasers can be used to process small holes with diameters of tens of microns in hard materials (such as tungsten carbide alloys), and can also create various specially shaped holes with unique requirements in brittle materials (such as ceramics), including blind holes and square holes.

In cutting processes, laser precision cutting enables high-speed, high-precision cutting of thin sheet materials with smooth and flat cut surfaces and small heat-affected zones. This technology has been well applied in processes requiring high precision such as mobile phone screen cutting and fingerprint recognition chip cutting. Laser welding technology can achieve good welding quality for both similar and dissimilar materials, with small heat-affected zones and fast welding speeds, and is widely used in precision welding applications across multiple fields including automotive manufacturing, electronic device manufacturing, and medical device manufacturing.

Laser etching technology plays a significant role in high-precision processing fields such as electronic semiconductor materials. Through laser etching, extremely fine patterns and textures can be formed on material surfaces, with adjustable etching depth and width as needed.

Galvanometer Coaxial Optical Path Module

The module enables observation of the scanning head's working area through the integrated camera. Typical applications include process monitoring and workpiece positioning/angle alignment. During laser processing, the coaxial module allows easy integration into both new and existing systems. The mechanical interface of the module can be directly installed between the galvanometer scanning head and laser flange. Main applications: laser marking, laser welding, laser cutting, machine vision, laser micromachining, laser resistor trimming.

355nm UV/532nm Green Laser Precision Cutting Head

In the PCB industry, it is mainly used for PCB laser depaneling, including UV laser cutting of FR4, reinforcement steel plates, FPC, rigid-flex boards, and fiberglass boards. For ultra-thin metal materials UV laser cutting applications: Ultra-thin metals refer to metal materials below 0.2mm, such as copper foil, aluminum foil, stainless steel and alloy materials. The UV laser cutting process achieves burr-free, low-carbonization, deformation-free precision cutting, commonly used in military components, photovoltaic copper foil and other industries.

QCW1064 Rotary Micro-hole Processing Head

This cutting head is a precision fiber (λ=1064nm) cutting head featuring a multi-element collimating and focusing lens assembly that delivers small focused spot size and high accuracy. When combined with XY galvanometer rotation, it enables micro-hole cutting. Capable of drilling micro-holes in thin titanium, aluminum, copper, and stainless steel plates under 1mm thickness, with hole diameters ranging from Φ0.1-0.5mm. When equipped with coaxial gas assist, it achieves excellent circularity and smooth edge quality.

QCW1064 Rotary Micro-hole Processing Head

This cutting head is a precision fiber (λ=1064nm) cutting head featuring a multi-element collimating and focusing lens assembly that delivers small focused spot size and high accuracy. When combined with XY galvanometer rotation, it enables micro-hole cutting. Capable of drilling micro-holes in thin titanium, aluminum, copper, and stainless steel plates under 1mm thickness, with hole diameters ranging from Φ0.1-0.5mm. When equipped with coaxial gas assist, it achieves excellent circularity and smooth edge quality.

Future Prospects

It is projected that by 2025, China's precision laser processing market will exceed 150 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate surpassing 15%. With the deep integration of 5G, AI, and new energy technologies, laser applications will further expand into emerging fields such as quantum communications and flexible electronics, becoming a core driver of "intelligent manufacturing upgrading." Enterprises should capitalize on policy support windows (e.g., the 14th Five-Year Plan for high-end equipment) to develop differentiated products and build technological reserves, thereby enhancing global competitiveness.