Manufacturing Engineering - May 2011 - (Page 109) Arthroscopic cutting tool cut with an SPI 200W fiber laser. Lasers in Medical Manufacturing Lasers Enable Medical Manufacturing Innovation Production of novel medical devices is made simpler—in some cases made possible—by the application of laser technology Brian J. Hogan Editor T he success of the laser as a tool for manufacturing medical devices has occurred due to an alignment of its features to that of the industry. Those requirements for high quality, accuracy, miniaturization, and reliability match up well with the laser’s inherent fine resolution, high control- lability, and stability. The laser microprocessing area that is relevant to medical device manufacturing encompasses lasers across the wavelength spectrum from 193 nm to 10.6 µm, and pulses from picoseconds to milliseconds for micro welding, fine cutting, drilling, micromachining, and marking. One example of the application of lasers to medical manufacturing involves the low-cost, high-volume fabrication of microfluidic devices. This work is critical to support a new May 2011 | www.sme.org/manufacturingengineering 109 http://www.sme.org/manufacturingengineering Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Manufacturing Engineering - May 2011 Manufacturing Engineering - May 2011 Contents Upfront Calendar Quality Scan Sme Speaks Continuing the Conversation: imX Experience Partners Discuss Manufacturing Trends Newsdesk Tech Front Shop Solutions Precision Part Machining Medical Metrology as Part of the Whole Materials in Medical Manufacturing Connect Process Flows to Become Lean Lasers Enable Medical Manufacturing Innovation Eastec 2011 Show Preview Rapid 2011 Show Preview Classifieds Ad Index Focus on the Workforce Knowledge Express Viewpoints Manufacturing Engineering - May 2011 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_April_2012_v2 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_April_2012 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_April_2012_iphone http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_March_2012 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_February_2012_iphone http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_February_2012 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_February_2012_v2 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_January_2012 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_December_2011 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_December_2011_v2 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/sme_ME_November_2011 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_October_2011 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_October_2011_v2 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_September_2011 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_August_2011 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_August_2011_v2 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_July_2011 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_June_2011 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_June_2011_v2 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_May_2011 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_April_2011 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_March_2011 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_February_2011 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_January_2011_v2 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_January_2011 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_December_2010_jobseeker http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_December_2010_recruiter http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_November_2010_jobseeker http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/ME_November_2010 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/me_201010 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/me_201009 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/me_201008 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/me_201007 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/me_201006 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/me_201005 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/offline201008 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sme/linktest http://www.nxtbookMEDIA.com