Laser Cutting The Latest on Lasers in Medical Manufacturing
Many of the cutting, drilling, and welding applications of lasers in medical device manufacturing have been developed around the Nd:YAG laser. However, fiber-laser technology has rapidly emerged as a replacement for the Nd:YAG laser for existing as well as new laser applications. Te evolution of laser systems, particularly multiaxis laser systems for cutting,
drilling, and welding of three-dimensional components, has also expanded the capa- bility of laser processing for medical devices. Tis article provides a comparison of fiber laser and Nd:YAG laser technologies and introduces advances in laser system capability relevant to the manufacture of medical devices.
Recent developments in laser systems open new orthopedic and medical device design possibilities for cutting, drilling and welding.
3D Laserdyne fiber-laser system equipped with a two-axis (rotary and tilt) laser beam positioning head.
Nd:YAG vs. Fiber Laser Knowing the differences between Nd:YAG and fiber lasers helps to understand
their application to medical device manufacturing. Both Nd:YAG and fiber lasers include a lasing media. Te lasing media for the Nd:YAG laser is a neodymium (Nd) doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) crystal.