| Type | Public (NASDAQ: IPGP) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Photonics |
| Founded | (1990) |
| Headquarters | Oxford, Massachusetts |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Key people | Valentin P. Gapontsev, Ph.D., CEO and Chairman of the Board |
| Products | Lasers |
IPG Photonics is a manufacturer of fiber lasers and fiber amplifiers.[1] The company developed and commercialized optical fiber lasers.[2] IPG’s fiber lasers are used in a variety of applications including materials processing, medical applications and telecommunications.[1]
IPG has manufacturing facilities in the United States, Germany, Russia and Italy, and regional sales offices in Japan, South Korea, India, and the United Kingdom.[3]
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Fiber lasers consist of a special optical fiber whose core has been infused with rare-earth ions which create optical gain when pumped by a diode laser. They can produce beams with good quality and high output power from a compact device, with long life, high energy efficiency, and lower total cost of ownership than comparable conventional lasers. Fiber lasers are replacing conventional lasers in many applications.
IPG began operations in Russia in 1990 and was founded by Dr. Valentin P. Gapontsev who was a research physicist. In the beginning, IPG made and sold customized glass and crystal lasers, wireless temperature meters for hyperthermy and laser components. In 1992, the company began focusing exclusively on the development of high-power fiber lasers and amplifiers.
The firm received its first major contract from telecommunications carrier Italtel. IPG then won a second major contract from DaimlerBenz Aerospace (Dornier Branch). Following that second contract, IPG opened a facility in Germany in 1994. Through the late 1990s, IPG’s work garnered the company a reputation as a highly regarded engineering organization and a pioneer in advanced high-power fiber lasers and amplifiers.
IPG also became a leader in producing components for the telecom industry, opening manufacturing facilities in both Italy and the U.S. in 1998.
In 2000, IPG made a strategic decision to invest in new high-capacity production facilities to manufacture its own diode pumps, a major component of its fiber lasers and amplifiers. This investment allowed IPG to cut its dependence on outside suppliers and produce the essential components for its systems for up to 90% less than what it paid outside suppliers. As a result, IPG is able to produce most critical components for its lasers and amplifiers, meaning that IPG can both sell high quality lasers and amplifiers at lower prices than competitors and act as supplier to these same companies.
By dint of its vertical integration and its proprietary technology, IPG effectively scaled the output powers of its fiber lasers to levels that exceed conventional solid-state and gas lasers, permitting lasers to be used in new applications and supplanting conventional lasers in many applications.
The company went public at the end of 2006 and is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker IPGP.