Industrial laser shipments dropped 10 percent for the first quarter of 1999, despite the increased popularity of CO2 laser systems for cutting applications, according to statistics compiled by the Association for Manufacturing Technology. Last year the association reported $152.6 million in first-quarter shipments. However, several key companies involved in last year's survey declined to participate in the survey this year. Data from the companies that reported shipments for both years indicated a 10 percent drop from year-earlier totals.