Future development and trends of sheet metal laser processing industry

Laser technology: from fiber optics to ultrafast and deep ultraviolet

(1) Popularization of ultrafast lasers and micro-nano processing:

The future of femtosecond/picosecond laser will be the trend of high average power, high stability and low cost. Ultrafast laser greatly avoids micro-cracks, recast layers and heat-affected zones (HAZ) caused by traditional thermal processing through the "cold working" mechanism (non-thermal effect).

Application prospects: It will become the mainstream technology for OLED/Mini/MicroLED panel cutting, 5G/6G RF front-end component (such as LTCC, PCB) processing, medical device (such as stent, catheter) manufacturing and high-end semiconductor wafer cutting. The future trend is to achieve industrial-grade high-power output of 100W or even 200W while ensuring that the pulse width is below 10ps.

(2) Breakthroughs in deep ultraviolet (DUV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lasers:

As semiconductor manufacturing process nodes continue to shrink, the wavelength of traditional lasers can no longer meet demand. In the future, deep ultraviolet (such as 266nm, 193nm) and more advanced extreme ultraviolet (13.5nm) technologies will be more widely used for finer lithography, drilling and surface modification. This will be directly related to the realization of 3nm and 2nm chip manufacturing processes.

(3) Synergy of high-power optical fiber and disc laser:

In high-energy applications such as thick plate cutting and heavy industrial welding, 10,000-watt (above 10kW) fiber lasers will remain the mainstream. The focus in the future will be on improving beam quality and spot shaping technology, such as the use of adjustable beam mode (ABM) or composite spot technology, to adapt to the processing needs of different materials and thicknesses and achieve a leap in welding quality.

Intelligence and automation: processing system integrating AI

(1) Machine vision and AI empowerment:

Future laser equipment will no longer be an independent "executor", but an intelligent system with perception, judgment and adaptive capabilities.

Key technology: Introduce high-definition machine vision system to monitor molten pool status, heat-affected zone and cutting edge in real time. Through deep learning (DeepLearning) algorithm training model, real-time closed-loop feedback and adaptive adjustment of processing parameters (power, speed, focus position, protective gas pressure) are realized, such as automatically identifying and eliminating pores during the welding process.

Result: To achieve "one-click" processing, the operator only needs to set the material and target effect, and the system automatically optimizes all parameters, greatly reducing the dependence on senior technicians.

(2) Deep integration of additive manufacturing (3D printing):

Laser additive manufacturing (such as selective laser melting SLM, laser cladding LMD) will break through the limitations of "small batch, high cost" and move towards large-scale, continuous production.

Trend:Use multi-laser beam collaboration and large-format printing technology to improve production efficiency; the types of materials have expanded from metal alloys to high-performance ceramics and composite materials, especially in aerospace engine parts and Mold Manufacturing, which will usher in an explosion of applications.

New energy vehicles and power batteries: the "golden track" for laser processing

(1) The ultimate demand for power battery manufacturing

1. Battery core welding: The welding of battery tabs, adapters, modules and Packs requires extremely high sealing, conductivity and lightweight. The future trend is high-speed scanning galvanometer welding and hybrid laser welding (such as blue light laser). The absorption rate of blue laser for highly reflective materials such as copper and gold is much higher than that of infrared laser. It can effectively solve the problems of spatter and penetration instability and is an ideal solution for welding copper materials.
2. Plate cutting: The use of picosecond/femtosecond ultra-fast laser cutting of lithium battery plates (such as aluminum foil, copper foil) can achieve ultimate cutting with zero burrs and zero heat impact, effectively avoiding the risk of internal short circuits in the battery, and directly improving the safety and cycle life of the battery.

(2) Lightweight body and structural parts

In automobile manufacturing, the application proportion of aluminum alloys, high-strength steel, and carbon fiber composite materials (CFRP) continues to increase. Laser welding and cutting are the best means to deal with these dissimilar and high-strength materials, helping to achieve structural optimization and weight reduction of the car body.

Semiconductors and microelectronics: the cornerstone of high-precision, small-size manufacturing

(1) Wafer cutting and dicing

As chip integration increases and wafer thickness continues to decrease, traditional cutter wheel cutting can no longer meet the requirements. Stealth Dicing technology uses laser to form a modified layer inside the wafer, and then separates it through external force to achieve damage-free cutting. It will be the mainstream of wafer dicing in the future.

(2) Micro drilling of flexible circuit boards (FPC) and PCB

Smartphones and wearable devices require electronic components to become smaller and smaller and the diameter of micropores on PCB boards has entered the micron level. With its short wavelength and high photon energy, UV laser (UV Laser) can achieve efficient and high-quality drilling of micropores with a diameter of 50μm or even smaller.

Medical devices and biomanufacturing: personalized and implantable

(1) Implantable medical devices:

For example, cutting of heart stents, micro-welding of cochlear implants, precise etching of drug coatings. These fields that have extremely high requirements on materials and processing accuracy must rely on the cold processing characteristics of ultrafast lasers to ensure that the biocompatibility of materials is not destroyed.

(2) Biological 3D printing and tissue engineering:

Technologies such as laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) are exploring the use of lasers to precisely control the deposition of bioinks to achieve precise printing of living cells, tissues and organs, providing the possibility for regenerative medicine and drug screening.

Vertical integration of the industrial chain and acceleration of domestic substitution

(1) Localization of upstream core components

In the past, lasers (especially ultrafast and high-power fiber lasers) relied heavily on imports for their core pump sources, gratings, and special fibers. In the future, as domestic investment in scientific research increases, domestic substitution of upstream core components will accelerate. This will greatly reduce the manufacturing cost of laser equipment and improve the stability and response speed of the supply chain.

Trend: More laser equipment manufacturers will realize vertical integration of lasers, galvanometers and control systems to provide optimized overall solutions.

(2) Highlight the value of application process package

The device itself is just the carrier. For emerging applications such as new energy and semiconductors, what users really need is process knowledge on "how to use lasers to process a specific material and achieve specific effects."

The focus of future competition is to provide industry-specific, proven process databases and solutions (Know-How), which requires laser companies to go deep into users' production lines and jointly develop customized process flows.

Cross-border integration and ecological construction

(1) Deep integration with industrial robots and automated production lines

In the future, laser equipment will exist in the form of flexible workstations, seamlessly connected with multi-axis robots, AGV trolleys and automated loading and unloading systems, becoming the core component of a fully automated, unmanned smart factory (Dark Factory).

(2) Exploration of SaaS service model

Some laser equipment manufacturers will explore the "Equipment as a Service" (EaaS) or "processing time rental" model to reduce users' initial investment threshold and maximize equipment operation efficiency through remote diagnosis, predictive maintenance and software upgrades.