Laser Wire Stripping for Medical
Device Manufacturing Applications
Laser wire stripping was developed by NASA in
the 1970s as part of the Space Shuttle program.
The technology made it possible to use
smaller sized wires with thinner insulations,
without risk of the damage that can be caused
by traditional mechanical wire stripping
methods. Laser wire stripping technology was
commercialized in the 1990s and was initially
used for aerospace and defense applications.
Laser wire stripping then grew significantly
when the consumer electronics market
exploded as lasers became the only stripping
solution for the tiny data cables found in
laptops, mobile phones and other consumer
electronics products. Another large industry
that has adopted laser wire stripping methods,
and for good reason, is high-end medical device
manufacturing.
The Benefits of Laser Stripping
Using laser light to remove insulation or coating
layers from electrical wires, catheters and
other medical devices is now the norm. This is
understandable as there are many benefits to
using a laser stripping process for medical device
manufacturing. The most important is the highly
repeatable quality that is inherent to the process.
When using a CO₂ laser to strip polymer insulation,
from a wire conductor for example, the laser energy
is readily absorbed by the insulation but highly
reflected by the underlying metal conductor. Since
the conductor reflects the laser light, there is no risk
of it getting damaged during the stripping process.
With laser stripping, there are no limits to how small
of a wire can be stripped and no matter the wire size,
there remains no risk of damage to the conductor.
8 WIRE NEWS November 2017
Another benefit is that laser stripping machines can
strip round, out-of-round, flat ribbon or any other
shape of wire or cable. Stripping geometries include
end stripping, window stripping, slitting or complete
area ablation. The process is also very user-friendly.
There are no blades to change or consumables
to replace in contrast to mechanical stripping
methods. The process is non-contact, so there are no
maintenance or wear items that need to be replaced
frequently.
Laser stripping machines are also very versatile. There
are many different laser types on the market, each
having a different wavelength. The idea is to select
a laser with a wavelength and power that is readily
absorbed by the layer you want to remove (strip) yet
gets strongly reflected from the underlying layer.
Laser strippers can be used in a semi-automatic
process where the operator presents the material
to be stripped to the machine. This is typically used
for end stripping and can be used for single ends or
a batch at a time. In addition, the laser stripper can
also be fully integrated with a downstream cut & strip
machine to measure, cut and strip in a fully automatic
process.
Types of Medical Applications for Laser
Stripping
In medical device manufacturing, selecting the correct
wires and cables for the job and properly processing
them is of extreme importance. In some cases, it can
be the difference between life and death for a patient.
Laser wire stripping can ensure higher quality
processing for several different medical applications.