Stuttgart, Germany – Manufacturers of modern medical instruments and implants are faced with enormous challenges. Structures are becoming increasingly smaller, yet demands for the highest quality and accuracy are still expected to be met. This means flawless, smooth surfaces without any residue. "Laser micro processing is the best option here as it removes material without any contact. Furthermore, excellent beam quality and accurate control prevent the spreading of heat or the occurrence of material damage," explains Mandy Gebhardt, head of marketing at 3D-Micromac.
Exhibitors at LASYS 2010, June 8-10 at the Stuttgart Trade Fair Center, will be presenting the advantages of lasers for the area of medical technology, just one of the numerous application areas that the international trade fair for system solutions in laser materials processing will be looking at. This year, the second LASYS event will be looking at laser applications and product solutions for micro and macro materials processing.
"The variety of applications available and the possibilities for cutting, welding, and labeling processes make the laser an indispensible tool for the manufacture of medical technology products. This is because it operates contact-free with fast, accurate surgical precision and with high-quality, consistent reproducibility," explains Alexander Knitsch, applications expert for Lasers in Medical Technology at TRUMPF.
"The use of laser welding devices has made it easier to perform a lot of the welding connections using special materials such as nickel silver or titanium," explains Thomas Miczek, head of sales at DSI Laser-Service. "We are also achieving a better overlapping with welded seams, whereby welded seam errors are reduced thanks to quick pulse repetitions of more than 20 Hz. Shorter intervals mean the molten pool is cooled to a lesser extent and a continuous welded seam results which reaches the surface of a continuous wave laser," continues Miczek.
According to experts, the importance of using the laser as a production tool in medical technology is set to increase further. New and even faster machining processes are to be expected with, for example, higher pulse repetitions, better pricing with increased performance, the most accurate of beam diameters and less reworking of components. Further future-oriented themes, as well as the latest innovative products and system solutions for the laser in materials processing, will be presented at LASYS 2010 on approximately 15,000 square meters of Stuttgart's exhibition space. Around 200 exhibitors are expected to attend. A top-class framework program which will include, among other events, the renowned Stuttgart Laser Technology Forum (SLT) and the 11th International Symposium on Laser Precision Microfabrication (LPM), will be facilitating the transfer of knowledge between research and industry at this important information platform.
For more information on LASYS contact [email protected].