JK Lasers
JK Lasers was a British industrial-laser manufacturer that developed laser sources and processing systems for welding, cutting, drilling, and related manufacturing applications.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
JK Lasers was a British industrial-laser manufacturer based in Rugby, Warwickshire. Its origins lay in the research division of Associated Electrical Industries (AEI), where a team worked on laser technology. After AEI was acquired by the conglomerate GEC in the late 1960s, the laser team did not wish to relocate. Ron Burbeck and Dr Jim Wright MBE subsequently established an independent company in 1972, creating the business that became JK Lasers. The company initially developed and sold pulsed laser systems using ruby, YAG, and glass laser rods. It later broadened its industrial offering through the MS-Series of Nd:YAG laser systems, aimed at practical manufacturing processes including welding, cutting, and drilling. This development helped position JK Lasers as an industrial-technology supplier rather than solely a research-laser producer. JK Lasers received early recognition in the United Kingdom. It won The Queen's Award for Export Achievement in 1978 and The Queen's Award for Technological Achievement in 1990. Dr Jim Wright's contribution to the industrial use of lasers in Britain was also recognised through an Association of Industrial Laser Users award in 1998. In 2005, the company was named an outstanding partner in engineering and technology by McNeil Consumer and Specialty Pharmaceuticals. In 1982, Canadian laser company Lumonics acquired JK Lasers. The transaction brought the business into one of the larger international laser groups of the period. Lumonics later merged with General Scanning Incorporated in 1999. After the Lumonics name was sold, the laser operation became known as the GSI Group Laser Division. During this period, the business continued developing industrial laser technology, including its first rack-mountable ytterbium fiber lasers in 2007. The JK Lasers name returned in August 2012 when the GSI Group Laser Division was rebranded. The change was presented as a return to the company's historical identity and acknowledged its established engineering heritage. Around the same period, the company expanded its portfolio beyond earlier pulsed and Nd:YAG systems. Its range included fiber lasers from watt-level systems to kilowatt-class sources, CO2 lasers, Nd:YAG lasers, process tools, and software. The JK2000FL, launched in April 2012, represented the company's first multi-kilowatt-class fiber laser. The brand's independent identity ended after GSI sold its JK Lasers subsidiary to SPI Lasers in April 2015. SPI Lasers was part of the TRUMPF Group. Following the acquisition, the products were rebranded with the SPI logo, effectively bringing the JK Lasers brand to an end. Its history therefore spans the early development of industrial laser manufacturing in Britain, several changes of corporate ownership, and the transition from conventional rod-based laser systems toward industrial fiber-laser technology.
History
JK Lasers developed from laser research conducted within Associated Electrical Industries in Rugby, Warwickshire. When AEI was acquired by GEC in the late 1960s, members of the laser team chose not to move with the wider organisation. Ron Burbeck and Dr Jim Wright MBE established an independent company in 1972. Its first products were pulsed laser systems using ruby, YAG, and glass laser rods. The business then developed the MS-Series of Nd:YAG systems for industrial welding, cutting, and drilling. These products established the company's focus on applying laser technology to manufacturing rather than limiting its work to laboratory research. JK Lasers gained recognition for both exports and technology, receiving The Queen's Award for Export Achievement in 1978 and The Queen's Award for Technological Achievement in 1990. Dr Jim Wright was later recognised for his contribution to industrial laser use in the United Kingdom, while the company received an engineering and technology partnership award from McNeil Consumer and Specialty Pharmaceuticals in 2005. Lumonics acquired JK Lasers in 1982. Following Lumonics' 1999 merger with General Scanning Incorporated, the business became part of the GSI Group Laser Division after the Lumonics name was sold. Under the GSI identity, the operation introduced rack-mountable ytterbium industrial fiber lasers in 2007. The company returned to the JK Lasers name in August 2012. Its portfolio at that stage included fiber, CO2, and Nd:YAG lasers, as well as process tools and software. The JK2000FL, introduced in April 2012, was its first multi-kilowatt fiber-laser system. In April 2015, GSI sold the subsidiary to SPI Lasers, then part of the TRUMPF Group. Products were subsequently rebranded under SPI, effectively ending JK Lasers as a separate commercial brand.
- 2015
Sale to SPI Lasers
[1]GSI sold JK Lasers to SPI Lasers, after which the products were rebranded with the SPI logo.
- 2012
JK2000FL launched and brand restored
[1]The company launched the JK2000FL multi-kilowatt fiber laser in April and returned to the JK Lasers name in August.
- 2007
Rack-mountable ytterbium fiber lasers introduced
[1]The GSI Group Laser Division launched its first rack-mountable ytterbium industrial fiber lasers.
- 1999
Business enters the GSI structure
[1]Lumonics merged with General Scanning Incorporated, after which the laser operation became the GSI Group Laser Division.
- 1990
Queen's Award for Technological Achievement
[1]The company received The Queen's Award for Technological Achievement.
- 1982
Acquisition by Lumonics
[1]Canadian laser company Lumonics acquired JK Lasers.
- 1978
Queen's Award for Export Achievement
[1]JK Lasers received The Queen's Award for Export Achievement.
- 1972
Independent company established
[1]Ron Burbeck and Dr Jim Wright MBE founded JK Lasers after the company's laser team separated from the AEI research environment.
Products and positioning
A British industrial-laser engineering brand focused on laser sources and systems for manufacturing processes such as welding, cutting, and drilling, with later emphasis on industrial fiber lasers.
Nd:YAG laser systems
MS-Series
The MS-Series was a family of Nd:YAG laser systems developed for industrial processing. Its stated applications included welding, cutting, and drilling, reflecting JK Lasers' move from early pulsed laser development toward production equipment for manufacturing users.
Multi-kilowatt fiber laser · 2012
JK2000FL
Launched in April 2012, the JK2000FL was described as JK Lasers' first multi-kilowatt-class fiber laser. It represented the brand's expansion into higher-power fiber sources for industrial processing and formed part of a broader range spanning watt-level to kilowatt-level fiber lasers.
Fiber laser sources · 2007
Industrial fiber lasers
JK Lasers supplied industrial fiber lasers across watt-to-kilowatt power ranges. The business had introduced rack-mountable ytterbium fiber lasers by 2007 and later developed multi-kilowatt systems, supporting industrial applications that required compact, controllable laser sources.
Industrial laser sources
CO2 lasers
CO2 lasers formed part of the company's broader industrial product range. They were offered alongside fiber and Nd:YAG systems, giving customers access to different laser technologies for manufacturing and material-processing requirements.
Pulsed laser systems · 1972
Pulsed ruby, YAG, and glass-rod lasers
These were among JK Lasers' earliest commercial products after its establishment in 1972. The systems used ruby, YAG, and glass laser rods and established the technical foundation from which the company's later industrial welding, cutting, drilling, and fiber-laser products developed.
Industrial laser accessories and software
Process tools and software
In addition to laser sources, the later JK Lasers portfolio included process tools and software. These offerings supported the integration and operation of laser equipment in industrial applications, although the available reference material does not identify individual product names or software versions.
Brand decisions
2015
Sell the subsidiary to SPI LasersM&ABackground
GSI decided to sell its JK Lasers subsidiary as part of a change in ownership of the industrial laser business.
Action taken
GSI sold JK Lasers to SPI Lasers in April 2015.
Aftermath
Products were rebranded with the SPI logo, effectively ending JK Lasers as a standalone commercial brand.
2012
Restore the JK Lasers brandStrategyBackground
The business had operated under the GSI Group Laser Division name following changes in the ownership and branding of the former Lumonics operation.
Action taken
GSI rebranded the laser division as JK Lasers in August 2012, presenting the move as a return to the company's engineering heritage.
Aftermath
The restored name was used during a period of portfolio expansion that included the JK2000FL multi-kilowatt fiber laser.
1982
Accept acquisition by LumonicsM&ABackground
JK Lasers was an established industrial-laser manufacturer, while Lumonics was a Canadian laser company seeking scale in the international market.
Action taken
Lumonics acquired JK Lasers and incorporated it into its wider laser business.
Aftermath
The acquisition placed JK Lasers within a larger global laser group and preceded later ownership changes involving General Scanning and GSI.
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