Manufacturing Group Reports Increase in Industrial Laser Shipments

Shipments of industrial laser equipment and systems from North American markets rose 40 percent in the first three quarters of 1996, according to a report from the Association for Manufacturing Technology's Laser Systems Product Group. Shipments of industrial laser equipment and systems reported by the 40 participating companies totaled $250 million, of which $84 million were exports. The report attributed the largest share to cutting applications, which made up almost half of all transactions. Marking and welding applications accounted for another 15 percent of business.