According to Xinhua, at the showroom of Suzhou Maxphotonics Technology Company (China), visitors only need to wear protective glasses and hold a laser welding gun weighing about 300g to create a thin weld like a hair on a metal sheet in less than a minute.
Launched in June, the Hongtong K1M welding gun is integrated with a welding mount right in the body and a 360-degree rotating knob, helping users operate conveniently in many different positions.
Mr. Dang Jiantang - Deputy General Director of Maxphotonics, said that after only a short training course, newcomers can use the device, thereby significantly shortening the learning time compared to traditional welding methods.
Joining Maxphotonics in 2013, Mr. Dang witnessed the business grow from about 50 employees to more than 1,900 people. The company's revenue also increased from 2-3 million yuan to 1.5 billion yuan by 2025 and set a target of reaching 1.65 billion yuan this year.
Currently, Maxphotonics ranks second in the world and first in the domestic market for fiber optic lasers, with products exported to more than 60 countries and territories.
Mr. Yang Jinlong - Director of Research and Development (R&D) of Maxphotonics, said that the enterprise is holding 27.5% of the domestic fiber optic laser market share. The company has registered more than 1,000 patents and been granted more than 600 patents, covering many core technologies from fiber optic, pump sources to high-capacity laser control.
One of the outstanding achievements is the 160 kW optical fiber laser system, introduced as the first in the world, capable of cutting thick steel plates.
Not only exporting products, Maxphotonics also builds a sales, warranty and training network in many countries through headquarters and offices in Europe, the US and many other markets.
Suzhou Everbright Laser Co., Ltd. (China) is also a high-capacity semiconductor laser chip manufacturer, the core component of laser systems.
Mr. Wang Jun - R&D Director of Everbright, said that the business once had to build its own research platform when it could not access core technologies from abroad.
Last May, Everbright's technology combining kilowatt blue-band laser beam was awarded the Top 10 Breakthrough Technology Award of the optical industry of China, expanding its application capabilities in electric vehicle battery welding and high-reflective metal 3D printing.
Currently, Everbright operates the only 6-inch gallium arsenide (GaAs) laser chip production line in the country. In 2025, the company's revenue reached 477 million yuan, an increase of 75.09% compared to the previous year.
According to Xinhua, the highlight is not only in each enterprise but also in the photonic ecosystem formed in Suzhou. Suzhou Hi-Tech Park alone has more than 350 enterprises operating in this field, including 8 listed companies and 35 specialized enterprises, with a total production value of over 85 billion yuan. The three main areas of development are lasers, optical communication and smart optical sensors.
