Despite decreased orders from the automobile industry, shipments of industrial laser equipment and systems were up 3.6 percent in the second quarter of 1997 from the same quarter in 1996. The Laser Systems Product Group of the Association for Manufacturing Technology reported that shipments within North America amounted to $105 million, while exports amounted to $41 million. Cutting applications accounted for nearly 50 percent of all shipments. More than 55 percent of the shipments were CO₂ lasers.