At Potomac, laser micromachining is a key process we utilize to manufacture high precision parts for the biotech, medical device, microelectronics and consumer products industries.  As we described in our series When to choose Laser Micromachining, ultraviolet laser processing can produce micron-level features with little or no thermal damage in a wide variety of materials.  But in addition to manufacturing actual parts, we also use laser micromachining for fixturing.

 

When working on very small parts, fixturing is essential to ensure accurate placement of holes, marks, channels or other tiny features we are fabricating.  We often create features as small as one micron, but our customers also specify positioning accuracy.  This combination of demanding requirements requires us to innovate on the factory floor in order to deliver next generation products that are changing the world around us.

 

Our latest video demonstrates the power of laser micromachining in an advanced manufacturing facility.  Joe Miller, Director of Engineering, takes you on a behind the scenes tour of what industry observers are calling the Potomac “Factory of the Future” to explain how and why fixturing is important in advanced manufacturing. 

 

In addition, Joe points out that Digital Fabrication using CAD design software allows the laser machine tools to take digital files from an engineer and quickly and easily translate the design into the code needed to manufacture a part complete with required accuracy and tolerance.  Digital Fabrication provides the added advantage of easy design modifications.  Iterative design is changing what’s possible in rapid prototyping, bringing products to market at increasingly faster speeds.  For life-saving devices in biotech and medicine, time to market can have high impact on patient outcomes.  Often Potomac can generate prototypes in 24 hours, a game-changer in manufacturing.

 

Watch the entire video to see for yourself how laser micromachining can manufacture the fixtures that guarantee quality control in micro manufacturing.