Professional Knowledge

Short-wavelength and low-power laser diodes

2021-04-30
Short-wavelength and low-power laser diodes generally refer to semiconductor laser diodes with a wavelength below 1000 nm and a power below 100 mW. The traditional market for these products is laser reading heads for DVD-ROM, DVD-P and CD-P (OPU for short: Optical Pick-Up Unit). The wavelength and power used in these applications are 650nm/100mW, 650nm/5mW and 780nm/5mW, respectively. The OPU market is the traditional main market for short-wavelength and low-power laser diodes. Japanese manufacturers such as Rohm, Sony, Hitachi, and Sharp dominate this market. Companies producing OPU are mainly Japanese and Korean companies. In recent years, some companies in mainland China have also begun to produce CD-P OPUs. In addition to the traditional OPU market, laser diodes have also found their use in many other emerging fields in recent years, such as building decoration equipment, power tools, measuring instruments, toys and stage lighting, barcode scanning and other fields. The following is a brief introduction to these market conditions. Construction and decoration equipment market The construction and decoration equipment market mainly refers to line casters, swingers and so on. These instruments mainly make the laser diode produce horizontal and vertical straight lines within a certain distance (tens of meters to hundreds of meters), which are used as reference lines for civil construction or decoration. Considering that this application requires certain brightness and safety requirements, 635nm/5mW and 635nm/10mW laser diodes are generally used in practical applications to produce a straight line that can meet safety requirements and meet certain brightness requirements. With sophisticated design and craftsmanship, the accuracy of these instruments can be guaranteed within 20 seconds (angle units), which is convenient and effective to use. Although these instruments are not common in China's construction and decoration industry at present, the use of these instruments has been very common in developed countries such as Europe, America and Japan, and many have been used as DIY tools. According to statistics from relevant agencies, the current global market size of this industry is approximately US$300 million per year. With the increasing acceptance of these products in the market, the market is expected to grow rapidly at a rate of 20% to 30% per year. Currently, the more well-known brands in this market include Leica, Stanley, BOSCH, PLS and BLACK&DECK. In fact, many of these well-known brands are manufactured in China. The main OEM manufacturers in Mainland China for these well-known brands are: Tianjin Oupo, Changzhou Laisei, Suzhou Futian, Nanjing Deshuo, Changzhou Huada and Yangzhou Jingzhan. It is estimated that China will produce 500,000 to 600,000 such instruments annually, accounting for about 70% of the global market. At present, Chinese manufacturers have taken a leading position in the world in the R&D and manufacturing of such instruments. Changzhou Huada is a well-known overseas brand ODM line measuring instrument, both in craftsmanship and accuracy, it has been respected by the industry. The output of Tianjin Oupo and Changzhou Laisei is beyond the reach of ordinary enterprises. In China, there are manufacturers specializing in providing high-quality laser modules for this market. The most famous one is Xi'an Huake Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. The company provides high-quality, low-cost laser modules for the building decoration equipment market, which has become an indispensable link in the industry chain. In the building decoration equipment market, the annual sales volume of laser diodes is about 2.5 to 3 million, and the annual sales are about 20 to 30 million yuan.
Power tool market China is a major producer and exporter of power tools. In Europe and the United States, power tool products are more or less related to manufacturing in China. People usually think that traditional power tools and high-tech lasers are simply irrelevant. But in recent years, short-wavelength and low-power laser diodes have been successfully applied to power tools. Using the excellent light-gathering properties of the laser diode, the laser diode is made into a "cross" or "one" laser module and installed on cutting machines, drilling machines, saw teeth and other tools for positioning, which is simpler than traditional positioning methods It is much more efficient, so it is well received by the market. The power tool market generally uses 650nm/5mW laser diodes. At present, China's domestic power tool manufacturers mainly include: TTI Innovation Technology, BOSCH, B&D, Nanjing Quanfeng, Great Wall Precision, etc. These companies generally do not directly purchase laser diodes, but instead purchase "cross", "one" or dot laser diode modules. The main manufacturers of these modules are: Xinxi, Lijie, Xinwang, Dongke, etc. At the peak of the market in the previous two years, the annual demand for 650nm/5mW laser diodes in the power tool market was about 25-30 million, and the market value reached hundreds of millions. However, in the last one or two years, as the market saturation of this product has become higher and higher, especially this year, the global economy has been dragged down by the US subprime mortgage crisis, and the demand for these products has fallen sharply compared with the previous two years. It is estimated that the annual demand for laser diodes in the power tool market this year is about 10 million, and the market value is about 20-30 million yuan. Measuring instrument market The measuring instruments that use short-wavelength and low-power laser diodes mainly include short-distance laser rangefinders and geodetic measuring instruments. This market mainly uses 635nm/5mW, 780nm/5mW and 685nm/30mW laser diodes. The laser rangefinder is an instrument developed and produced in recent years for measuring short distances. The measuring distance is generally 60m, 100m, 200m, etc. Laser rangefinders are easy to use and efficient, and are well received by the market. At present, the well-known brands of laser rangefinders on the market are: Leica, Hilti, BOSCH, etc. In the last one or two years, some domestic manufacturers have begun to produce laser rangefinders, but because of the stability issues related to patents and mass production, few manufacturers are currently able to achieve mass production. It is estimated that no more than 100,000 laser rangefinders will be produced in China in 2008. However, once the production bottleneck is overcome, the laser rangefinder market will blow out, and the annual production and sales volume will exceed one million units. Geodetic instruments mainly include total station and theodolite. The application of laser diodes in these products is still in its infancy, and the market has not yet formed a scale in terms of quantity. Toys and stage lighting market In fact, short-wavelength low-power laser diodes were first used in the toy market. Generally, 650nm/5mW laser diodes are used as pointers. This market has a large capacity. 
In the past, the annual demand for such products in this market reached 10-20 million. Later, because of its damage to the eyes, the European and American markets imposed restrictions on such products. Therefore, its output has increased significantly in recent years. Decline, and the product grade is getting lower and lower. At present, the annual demand for such products in the domestic market is about 5-10 million. In the past year or two, green light stylus has also appeared in the toy market. This product is growing rapidly. It is estimated that the market demand for green light stylus in 2008 will be about 1 to 1.5 million. The green light is generated by a 808nm/200mW laser diode through crystal frequency doubling. In recent years, the stage lighting market has also developed rapidly. Laser can help stage and karaoke rooms to achieve unique optical effects. Red light and green light are mainly used in this part of the market. It is estimated that the annual demand for laser diodes in this market is about 300,000 to 500,000. Barcode Scanner Market Barcode scanners play a very important role in modern commercial circulation. At present, the market is dominated by foreign products. Well-known brands in the barcode scanner market include Symbol, Metrologic, Intermec, etc. 650nm/5mW laser diodes are used in barcode scanners. The annual demand for laser diodes in this market is expected to be about 1.5 million. Although there are domestic manufacturers producing such products, the products and technologies are not yet mature. Currently, no domestic manufacturer can produce a barcode scanner that is generally accepted by the market. The annual demand for laser diodes in the domestic barcode scanner market does not exceed 100,000. Other markets In addition to the above-mentioned markets, there are some other areas where short-wavelength low-power laser tubes are used, such as medical care products, gun sights, and so on. Medical care products mainly include portable instruments for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure and hyperlipidemia; gun sights have a larger market abroad. In short, the application of short-wavelength and low-power laser diodes in the non-data storage market is becoming more and more extensive, and these wide-ranging applications are becoming more and more closely related to people's daily life and work.
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