An endoscopic device that has been marked with a Trumpf fi ber-laser marking system.


Image courtesy Trumpf


LASER MARKING IN MEDICAL: THE DARK ARTS OF DARK MARKS


Michael C. Anderson Senior Editor


Laser marking is growing in popularity, driven by FDA regulations, the low cost of the mature technology and innovations from builders aiming to make their products stand out


T MSS10 AdvancedManufacturing.org


here’s been strong motivation for medical device manufactur- ers to embrace laser marking in recent years. First, of course, there is the FDA, which has been phasing in regulations for


there is the FDA, which has been phasing in regulations for medical devices to have a unique device identifi er—a UDI— that is permanent and can be read by machine as well as


that is permanent and can be read by machine as well as


the human eye. But mature marking technologies are also growing more affordable, even as laser machine builders fi nd creative ways to further develop the process and make their brands stand out. What’s more, we’re now in a manufacturing era where everyone wants traceability for more parts than ever—just about everything, really—which makes laser mark- ing technology a good investment for most anybody in manufacturing. “Not only medical but all industries are seeing the value of traceability. The current trend is toward direct part marking whether the part is plastic or metal or ceramic,” said Mark L. Boyle, laser product engineer at Amada Miyachi America (Monrovia, CA).


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