PhotoMachining, Inc. recently installed its new MicroMachine – USP III utra short pulse laser micro machining workstation at a world renowned medical care and research institution for the development of novel medical devices – implantable, surgical and diagnostic devices. According to Dr. Ronald Schaeffer, president and CTO of PhotoMachining, “The MicroMachine –USP III provides the ultimate flexibility in ultra-short pulse or ultra-fast micro machining. The workstation uses a powerful 20 watt femtosecond laser with three wavelengths - infrared, green and ultraviolet. Additionally, the pulse duration is adjustable from 290 fs to 10 ps.” This gives the engineer an unprecedented capability to fully explore the effects of wavelength and pulse duration on a given material. The incredibly high peak power of the laser permits virtually any material to be micro machined with exceptional quality and resolution.
The sophisticated beam delivery includes two galvo scanning heads, one for Infrared and Green and the second dedicated for Ultraviolet. An optional spindle stage can also be integrated into the system for the manufacture of stents, catheters and other tubular components. PhotoMachining’s LaserSoft program coordinates everything from wavelength selection, stage movement and optical inspection.
Although designed for advanced medical device manufacturing, the system has broad appeal for any industry researching ways of using lasers in micro manufacturing. Once the laser processing parameters are determined, this industrial hardened system can migrate directly into a production environment. To view a video of the system in action, visit the PhotoMachining YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/_LI_fvgtmUI