Micro-Nano Processing: Femtosecond Laser vs. Picosecond Laser – How to Choose Tool?
In high-precision fields such as microelectronic manufacturing, medical device R...
MONO | 2025-11
INDUSTRY
As medical devices continue to miniaturize, the ability to achieve high-quality cuts and intricate features on micro-tubing has become more critical than ever. ML-TRACK—a femtosecond laser system for micro-tube cutting—delivers sub-micron accuracy and a core advantage of a zero heat-affected zone (HAZ). This technology is a game-changer for manufacturing ultra-thin-walled tubing for interventional devices and surgical instruments, turning a complex technical challenge into a mass production reality.
Medical micro-tubes, such as those used for stents, catheters, marker bands, and surgical instrument components, often have diameters of less than 1mm and require tolerances within ±1μm. Any deviation can impact the delivery speed of medication or even cause tissue damage.
Laser cutting is not new to medical tube manufacturing; CO₂ and fiber lasers have long been used. However, while these long-pulse lasers can cut quickly, their thermal effects produce burrs and recast layers. This necessitates multiple post-processing steps, including mechanical grinding, chemical etching, and electropolishing. These extra steps not only increase costs by over 30% but can also lead to a scrap rate of 20-30%, with typical yields often as low as 70%.
Left: Long-pulse lasers transfer significant heat to the workpiece, requiring extensive post-processing to remove burrs. Right: Short-pulse femtosecond lasers concentrate energy in the cutting zone, minimizing thermal damage and post-processing steps.
A new technology, the femtosecond laser, leverages its core advantage of "cold processing" or athermal ablation. Its instantaneous energy vaporizes material without transferring heat to the workpiece. With a spot size as small as 3μm, it can machine extremely fine details, leaving a finished part that requires minimal to no post-processing. Femtosecond lasers can cut a wide variety of materials, including stainless steel, titanium, nitinol, and polymers, meeting the diverse demands of modern medical devices.
ML-TRACK integrates a high-quality, industrial-grade custom femtosecond source, a purpose-built optical path design, a high-precision motion system, and proprietary clamping technology. It provides a stable, efficient, and exceptionally clean tube cutting solution.
1. Sub-Micron Precision:
Cutting accuracy of ≤ ±2μm.
Handles minimum tube diameters of Ø0.1mm and creates minimum kerf widths of 15μm.
Processes a tube diameter range of Φ0.1-Φ20mm (with a tolerance of ±0.02mm) and lengths up to 1000mm, fully covering the dimensional requirements for medical micro-tubing.
2. Damage-Free Processing:
Parts cut with our femtosecond laser are free from warpage, recast layers, and damage to opposing wall structures.
The inner wall is exceptionally smooth (roughness ≤ ±0.4μm), eliminating the burden of post-processing.
Equipped with a high-sensitivity clamping system to ensure the product remains free from deformation and scratches during processing.
3. Customization for Mass Production & Innovation:
Beyond complex patterns like intermittent spirals, helices, and "dog-bone" shapes, the system can drill controlled apertures from 10-100μm with a repeat positioning accuracy of ±2μm, meeting stringent consistency requirements.
ML-TRACK enables mass production of a wide range of ultra-precision core medical components, including but not limited to:
Interventional Devices: Vascular access catheters, urological catheters, and delivery systems for structural heart procedures.
Surgical Instruments: Puncture needles, custom hypotubes, medical pull rings, and thin-walled cannulas.
Auxiliary Components: Airway stents, subcutaneous injection tubes, medical marker bands, and biocompatible implants.
As medical devices evolve to be "smaller, more precise, and safer," femtosecond laser technology is becoming the core driver for overcoming the bottlenecks in micro-tube manufacturing. It not only solves the thermal damage and precision issues of traditional methods but also enables the development of innovative medical devices through its multi-material compatibility and multifunctional integration.
If you are facing challenges in the precision machining of thin-walled micro-tubing or need a mass production solution for custom tubular components, MONO provides end-to-end support, from proof-of-concept to full-scale production, to help you elevate your products.
