Athermal laser machining

Noble UltraLight is an athermal laser machining process developed by Norman Noble Inc. (Highland Heights, OH) to create highly precise features in any material, such as bioabsorbable polymers, shape memory metals, and other exotic alloys without producing any heat affected zone (HAZ). The new process supports the Norman Noble's customers' technically advancing manufacturing requirements in the medical and aerospace industries.

The process uses the Smart Light ultrafast laser platform from Raydiance Corp. (Petaluma, CA).P) that, because it does not generate any HAZ, reduces, and in some cases, eliminates deburring and post-processing steps and increases product quality and yield.

The ultrafast laser process enables the machining of features in materials used to manufacture vascular stents with minimal variability and without the introduction of heat inherent in traditional thermal laser manufacturing. Noble UltraLight represents a dramatic advancement in the manufacturing of stents as well as other medical device applications including drug delivery systems, catheter devices, valves and needles.