By keeping a close eye on the pinnacle of optical technologies and conducting forward-looking scientific research, Shenzhen Scanner Optics Technology Co., Ltd. has amazed numerous peers with its dedication to the galvanometer industry and R&D investment in product technologies.

As its product portfolio continues to improve, Scanner Optics has seen a steady expansion of market share and rapid rise in influence across mid-to-high-end laser application sectors, including 3C electronics, precision machining, PCB processing, lithium battery & automotive welding, photovoltaic new energy, display panels, and medical aesthetics. It has now emerged as the undisputed leader in China’s laser galvanometer industry.

Bolstered by its philosophy of innovative development and profound technological accumulation, Scanner Optics has gained high recognition among customers. With 15 years of focused experience in the laser industry, the company has consistently prioritized technological R&D and process innovation, and spared no effort in delivering custom mid-to-high-end application solutions. It has continuously met the stringent process requirements of renowned clients across multiple niche segments, and won market share and orders by helping customers enhance equipment value. At present, Scanner Optics’ customer base spans both laser and non-laser industries requiring various optical scanning solutions, gradually establishing itself as a core supplier in the domestic and international galvanometer markets. Recently, Laser Manufacture News conducted an in-depth interview with Liang Mingbo, Deputy General Manager of Scanner Optics, discussing the company’s development strategy, industry future trends, as well as Scanner Optics’ technological advancements and strategic layout.

Laser Manufacture News: Hello, Mr. Liang! Scanner Optics has grown from a small R&D team of just a few people to a big family of nearly 500 employees today. Could you briefly introduce the company’s development history and current status?

Mr. Liang: Scanner Optics originated in 2009 from the micro special motor product line under Han’s Motor, a subsidiary of Han’s Laser. We started developing galvanometers initially focusing on galvanometer motors and drivers. From 2009 to 2018, Scanner Optics mainly supplied galvanometers to various business divisions, subsidiaries and product lines of Han’s Laser, and gradually developed a full range of galvanometer solutions—including optical lenses, control cards and software—for internal group clients. While meeting the diverse high-end demands of these internal customers, our technical capabilities also advanced by leaps and bounds.

Starting from 2018, Han’s Scanner was officially spun off from Han’s Motor and began operating as an independent subsidiary of Han’s Laser. At that time, the group allowed us to supply products to all customers without any restrictions, covering both internal and external clients. As a result, our customer base kept expanding, business volume climbed steadily, and the company team grew continuously. Today, Scanner Optics has emerged as the undisputed leader in the galvanometer industry. We take the leading position domestically in terms of sales revenue, shipment volume, team size and R&D strength, with the capability to serve global customers. We help our clients enhance equipment value, secure market share and win orders, growing hand in hand with them. It is expected that the company scale will continue to expand in the coming years.

Laser Manufacture News: As a national-level high-tech enterprise dedicated to providing global customers with solutions for field lenses, linear encoders and galvanometer scanning systems, what are the main laser application scenarios for Scanner Optics’ products?

Mr. Liang: Scanner Optics has been deeply rooted in the laser industry for 15 years, with a countless number of laser application scenarios. During the company’s growth, we have provided a large number of customized solutions for clients. Galvanometers are products requiring high speed and high responsiveness, where the pursuit of ultimate performance is always a priority. Basically, to achieve optimal performance for each special application, a certain degree of customization is needed. Therefore, we have accumulated thousands of product models, forming an application platform consisting of dozens of galvanometer product lines. Our products mainly cover application scenarios such as marking, cutting, welding, drilling, cleaning, ranging, laser radar and 3D printing.

Laser Manufacture News: The laser industry is developing rapidly nowadays, but competition within the sector is intensifying. How do you view the opportunities and challenges in the industry’s development?

Mr. Liang: Our company’s product sales have maintained a growth momentum in recent years. Especially this year, Scanner Optics underwent an equity restructuring—Han’s Laser transferred control to the Scanner management team. As a result, Scanner has become a company personally controlled by our Chairman Ding Bing and co-owned by several well-known investment institutions. Many of our core key clients are no longer concerned about Han’s Laser influencing Scanner’s decision-making. Consequently, they have launched comprehensive cooperation with us, including the full-scale advancement of many highly confidential projects, which continuously provides Scanner with more room for growth.

We have always adhered to independent R&D, investing substantial funds in performance enhancement each year, enabling our products to achieve full coverage across high-end, mid-range and entry-level markets. In the mid-to-high-end market, we hold distinct advantages over foreign brands in terms of price, delivery lead time, response speed and customization. Meanwhile, with years of deep engagement in the Chinese market, we have accumulated a wealth of mid-to-high-end customized application cases, and continuously optimize our products in various aspects. This makes our products better suited to the precise needs of specific application scenarios than those of other brands. In the entry-level market, we also outperform many domestic peers in performance, customization and the provision of complete turnkey solutions. Furthermore, our product range is exceptionally comprehensive, spanning from components to integrated galvanometer solutions, capable of meeting diverse application needs of any customer. For these reasons, we are gaining increasing favor among clients. Currently, our customer base covers both laser and non-laser industries that require various optical scanning technologies.

Laser Manufacture News: In recent years, Scanner Optics has achieved extensive layout in the field of optical technology, boosting the vigorous development of the entire optical industry. Could you tell us what efforts the company has made in expanding new business areas and exploring the application of new technologies?

Mr. Liang: Our business has always been customer-oriented, so the evolving new demands from clients have always been the guiding compass for our new business expansion. For example, with the popularity of consumer-grade marking machines over the past two years, we have launched cost-effective yet stable and reliable galvanometers in response. This has supported our clients in quickly seizing the consumer goods market and gaining consumer recognition. The exploration of new technologies is our unwavering pursuit—only by seizing the technological high ground can we prevail in the competition within the mid-to-high-end industries. Every application of our new technologies is aimed at helping clients enhance the value and competitiveness of their equipment. For instance, with the booming development of electric vehicles in recent years, to assist domestic EV manufacturers in reducing costs, improving efficiency and enhancing safety performance, we have developed galvanometers capable of operating in harsh temperature conditions (-40°C~105°C). We have also quickly obtained the automotive-grade TS16949 certification. This has completely influenced the mainstream direction of technical routes for automotive laser radars, making galvanometers the optimal choice for some laser radar products.

Laser Manufacture News: Scanner Optics evolved from the former Han’s Scanner, a name change that attracted widespread attention in the industry. Could you provide an in-depth interpretation of the strategic considerations behind this renaming?

Mr. Liang: Our company’s renaming last June drew significant interest from peers across the industry. The primary purposes of this rebranding are to better serve our clients and, at the same time, secure more development opportunities for Scanner. The decision was based on two key considerations:

First, to meet the growing market demand for integrated galvanometer solutions, we launched complete turnkey packages two years ago, including collimators, galvanometers, field lenses, control cards and supporting software. In this context, "scanning galvanometers" is no longer our sole identity label; instead, "optical" solutions built on galvanometer motion control technology are a more accurate representation of our product portfolio.

Second, since its establishment, Han’s Scanner has always adhered to the principle of independent development, thus establishing partnerships with a broad range of companies—including numerous clients in the laser industry. Han’s Laser’s influence in the sector is obvious to all. For this reason, some clients hoped that our corporate brand would be more neutral. Following the equity restructuring, the renaming has eliminated the last remaining concerns of many customers. Moreover, a growing number of clients expect the brand value of "Scanner Optics" to be reflected in their equipment, adding the finishing touch to enhance their product competitiveness.

Laser Manufacture News: What are Scanner Optics’ development plans for the future? What specific measures will be taken in terms of product R&D, technological innovation and market expansion?

Mr. Liang: We have always had a very clear blueprint for the future—to become "Scanner Optics Inside" for the equipment industry. While the market is changing rapidly, we are constantly adjusting ourselves to meet new challenges ahead. Nevertheless, we have been committed to developing galvanometer module solutions with faster speed, higher precision and greater energy that can enhance the value of our customers’ products.

Currently, in terms of product R&D, our team has built strong technical capabilities. We keep launching new products and solutions, and driving the development of galvanometer technology. As a result, we have caught up with or even surpassed foreign brands in many aspects, and entered a "no-man’s land" in some technical fields. In terms of technological innovation, we always require ourselves to allocate more time and resources to support innovation, and reach new heights in patent applications every year. This has earned us recognition from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which awarded us the title of Specialized, Sophisticated, Unique and Innovative "Little Giant" Enterprise. In terms of market expansion, we are paying greater attention to laser industry applications in South Africa and South America, bringing China’s advanced experience to countries and regions where the laser industry is relatively nascent and that maintain friendly relations with China—and we have already achieved remarkable results. Many customers are grateful for the technologies and solutions we provide, and their loyalty to us is very high

Laser Manufacture News: In recent years, the market has developed rapidly, with applications such as new energy and photovoltaics booming. Some enterprises have chosen a differentiated development path focusing on specific industries. What is your take on differentiated development in the industry? Does Scanner Optics have plans to focus on specific sectors?

Mr. Liang: Differentiated development in the industry is a trend of social progress. Channeling limited resources into specific niche tracks helps enterprises focus their efforts and accelerate technological upgrading in the industry. However, industry differentiation is a double-edged sword—excessive industry-specific competition can lead to severe resource waste and increased survival pressure on enterprises. We do have focused layouts in specific sectors, such as lithium batteries and photovoltaics. Despite the gloomy outlook of the overall industry, a considerable share of demand is still dominated by foreign brands. As one of the representatives of domestic brands in the industry, we shoulder the expectations of the Chinese people for import substitution. Therefore, we will continue to increase investment in the lithium battery and photovoltaic sectors, and keep launching products with higher performance and more comprehensive functions. The new galvanometer specially developed for the photovoltaic industry this year, which boasts a cutting speed of 70–80 m/s, is the result of our increased R&D investment.

Laser Manufacture News: At present, the laser industry is facing fierce competition and involution, but it also holds considerable development potential. What are your views on the current development status and future direction of the domestic galvanometer industry?

Mr. Liang: To me, involution is synonymous with cutthroat and excessive competition. In fact, whether it is competition or involution, only companies with solid core strengths will survive in the end. Frankly speaking, the competition in the domestic galvanometer industry is extremely brutal at present; survival has become the primary goal for some of our peers. I believe the next two to three years will be a critical period of reshuffling for the domestic galvanometer industry. It is foreseeable that many brands will struggle and eventually withdraw from the market, while a small number of brands will rise to become core suppliers in the Chinese and even global galvanometer markets.

Therefore, we will stick to our choices in the future and continue to develop products with stronger competitive edges. We pursue high cost-performance ratio rather than mere low prices. We firmly believe that only products with technological advantages can create unique value for customers, enabling them to share profits from this value. only when customers’ companies are profitable can they further promote industry development, and new demands will continue to emerge. Meanwhile, we can also benefit from this value growth, reinvest the gains to consolidate our product advantages, and then help customers meet new competition and prevail amid involution.