"The Unseen Champion" Chronicle: JPT Strives to be the Leader in the Laser Technology Subdivision

In the KOMLONG Technology Park, located in Longhua District, Shenzhen, China, researchers at JPT Laboratory are busy working on their tasks. Founded in 2006 by Huang Jack and several returnees from overseas, JPT has grown into an "unseen champion" enterprise after 18 years of development. In 2022, JPT's adjustable pulse width MOPA fiber laser obtained the title of champion product in the seventh batch issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. In 2024, the company was selected as a champion enterprise in the manufacturing industry with its Laser Trimmer.

Recently, Huang Jack, Chairman of JPT, stated in an interview with China Securities Journal that JPT is deeply rooted in the laser industry and is committed to becoming a specialized company in precision laser manufacturing and semiconductor-specific equipment. 

The company places great importance on technological innovation and focuses on niche markets. It does not aim for sheer size but rather strives to be among the top players domestically and even globally. JPT aims to become an indispensable "unseen champion" enterprise in the global market.

Turning the clock back to 2005, Huang Jack and Dr. Liu Jian, a Ph.D. graduate from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, met by chance and struck up a conversation at a teahouse in Shenzhen Airport. During their conversation, Liu Jian mentioned his desire to return to China for entrepreneurship. At the time, Huang Jack was working for a company in Shenzhen and had extensive management experience. The two reached an agreement and in 2006, Huang Jack and Liu Jian co-founded JPT. Afterwards, Dr. Cheng Penn and other alumni were introduced to the company by Liu Jian.

Huang Jack mentioned that when they started their entrepreneurship, they realized that industrial lasers were crucial for advanced manufacturing, and fiber lasers belonged to the third generation of industrial lasers with excellent performance. While foreign companies had just begun industrializing the application of fiber lasers, domestic companies had yet to make a breakthrough. At that time, Raycus Laser, which started at the same time as JPT, was planning to develop a Q-switched MOPA fiber laser (with adjustable pulse width). JPT decided to take a different path and chose adjustable pulse width MOPA fiber laser as their research and development direction, aiming for differentiation.

In 2008, the R&D team at JPT developed a prototype. However, when they were ready for mass production in 201, they encountered stability issues. The JPT staff delivered the first product to a customer, but as they were leaving the building, the customer informed them of a malfunction. The company then dedicated itself to researching and improving the stability of the laser. They persevered through rigorous aging tests for over a year.

Huang Jack vividly remembers a particular incident during testing when the company burned over ten machines in one go, resulting in a loss of millions of yuan. The engineers shed tears at the time. It wasn't until 2012 that the R&D team finally achieved stable quality for the MOPA fiber laser. Through long-term and extensive customer promotion and product testing, the company's MOPA fiber laser business officially turned profitable in 2014.

"After eight years of honing our sword, we figured it out on our own. Through this process, JPT has developed its own DNA: to persist with originality and do things differently!" According to Huang Jack, the company's MOPA fiber laser products are used in laser surface treatment, laser cleaning, and thin metal cutting/welding, among others. They have been widely applied in the fields of 3C electronics, automotive, new energy, and photovoltaics.

According to a research report by GF Securities, lasers are positioned in the midstream of the laser industry chain and are a crucial component of the laser industry. In the laser market, international leading companies like IPG and Trumpf have long-standing prominence. Meanwhile, Chinese laser industry leaders such as Raycus, MAX, and JPT started relatively later. However, with their rapid technological advancements, they have gradually gained strong competitive advantages and show promising development momentum. JPT, as the pioneer of MOPA fiber lasers in China, holds the top domestic market share for MOPA fiber lasers.

According to information available, in 2014, Apple introduced the iPhone 6 with a laser used to blacken the logo on the anodized aluminum casing. In 2015, some mobile phone manufacturers followed Apple's lead, increasing the demand for blackening anodized aluminum in the market. These manufacturers began using JPT's MOPA pulse fiber lasers for logo blackening. It was not until 2019 that JPT's MOPA pulse fiber lasers entered the Apple supply chain.

Actually, the JPT team has established a previous connection with the iPhone company. According to JPT's prospectus, the company started providing automated spectral inspection machines to the iPhone company in 2014. As the technical exchanges and cooperation deepened and the product features continued to be optimized, JPT's spectral inspection equipment expanded its application from tablet computers to a series of products such as smartphones and computers. This resulted in a continuous acquisition of orders from the iPhone company.

Huang Jack believes that entering the supply chain of major clients means that the company must meet high industry delivery standards and also enables the company to enter the field of customized equipment in the consumer electronics industry. By being in contact with various advanced processing demands in different industries, it becomes easier to grasp the direction of industry technological development, enhance rapid mass delivery capabilities, and improve internal coordination capabilities.

According to JPT's 2023 annual report, based on the excellent detection efficiency of the company's products, customer A has further proposed more customized equipment requirements. In recent years, the company has successively provided various categories of laser/optical intelligent equipment to customers, including glass panel QR code engraving equipment, VCSEL module testing equipment, multiple testing equipment for MR glasses, as well as testing and calibration equipment related to smartphone cameras. The company expects to continue increasing the number of collaborative projects with this customer in the coming years.

In 2015, in response to customer demand from JCET (Jiangsu Changjiang Electronics Technology Co., Ltd.), JPT developed the Laser Trimmer. The company's Laser Trimmer combines precision motion control, precise measurement technology, machine vision, software algorithms, and automated core technologies for laser light sources. Huang Jack stated that although the market size for Laser Trimmers is not large, they are of great importance. In simple terms, it can be considered as the "photolithography machine" for producing resistors.

Huang Jack explained that JPT's Laser Trimmer system utilizes the company's MOPA fiber laser and solid-state laser. The company has independently developed the Laser Trimmer to be compatible with different types of thick film resistors, thin film resistors, high resistance value resistors, low resistance value resistors, and more. This flexibility allows JPT to serve customers in a more efficient and effective manner, further reducing the cost of mass-producing chip resistors for clients.

According to the information available, since 2015, JPT's Laser Trimmer series products have been continuously serving well-known passive component manufacturers such as Fenghua Advanced Technology, JCET (Jiangsu Changjiang Electronics Technology Co., Ltd.), and Star Sound Electronics. They have achieved a high market share in the global market.

Huang Jack mentioned that from the beginning of the company's establishment, they have adhered to a differentiated approach, focusing on niche markets and aiming to be strong rather than large. They strive to make each product among the top in the domestic and even global market. After 18 years of effort, the company has won two individual champion titles awarded by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, making it an "unseen champion" enterprise in the global market. This proves that the company's commitment to independent innovation is the right path.

Huang Jack also stated that over the years, they have resisted the urge to engage in price wars with competitors. Instead, they focus on enhancing technology, value-added services, and brand reputation. The company is establishing a leading edge in areas such as laser precision welding and joining, FPC laser precision drilling, and camera optical module testing. In the coming years, they will continue to introduce multiple champion products in various fields.

Huang Jack stated that JPT's development direction is centered around lasers and providing customers with "laser + core module" solutions. The company's various core laser products and laser/optical intelligent equipment have gained recognition from leading global consumer electronics, semiconductor, optoelectronic component, and power battery manufacturers such as Company A, Intel, JCET (Jiangsu Changjiang Electronics Technology Co., Ltd.), Star Sound Electronics, STMicroelectronics, Sunlord Electronics, as well as CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd.), BYD (Build Your Dreams), EVE Energy, and FAW Group.

Huang Jack believes that JPT's core competitiveness lies in its excellent corporate culture. Unlike typical manufacturing companies, JPT has cultivated a corporate atmosphere resembling a research institute within a university. They have built a research and development team led by returnee Ph.D. graduates and high-level talents. This enables the company to have strong R&D capabilities in product iteration, new product development, and strategic planning.