TPi May 2017

(b) 50 micron relief holes for flexible tubing

(a) 50 micron slot in 250 micron OD Nitinol tubing

(c) Edge quality of Nitinol stent with only ultrasonic bath cleaning

Figure 3: Examples of femtosecond laser cutting of fine features

Water system In many legacy system designs, the water system was a weak point, requiring constant attention and maintenance to keep the machine running. Such issues as small water tank sizes, short lifetime pumps and lack of internal flow monitoring all added up to an unreliable system. Compounding these issues is the fact that it was difficult to access, even to simply change water filters. Fast forward to newer systems, which have a ten-gallon tank size, four-level debris filtering, intelligent programmable flow valves, multiple solenoid switches to prevent large water leaks, and drawer-mounted hardware that enables filter changing in seconds. The user interface provides the operator all necessary information, along with pre-cutting safeguards and go/no go limits to ensure that all is well. Automated tube loaders The standard stent and tube cutter is loaded manually with tubing that is typically up to 3m long. The cutter then cuts parts and advances the tube according to the program. At some point, the amount of tube remaining is of insufficient length to make the cut, and the remainder is removed and a new tube loaded. With more pressure to improve productivity and minimise labour costs, many are now using automated tube loaders to feed the cutter tubes. While this is not new, there is now an increased potential for using these tube loaders for automated wet connect on tube diameters larger than 1.5mm. Although one should not operate the tube cutter in a totally ‘lights out’ mode, using the automated loader can significantly reduce labour allocated to the machine. Open architecture system design A key part of any system is making the hardware usable for the operator on an every-day basis. One feature that contributes to this is using composite over granite with better vibration damping. Because the composite has a uniform internal structure, it can be mechanically modelled and so optimised for vibration isolation, load bearing capacity and deflection under load. This enables a cantilever arm to support the focus

optics and z and cross axes stages, providing a very open machine from an operator accessibility perspective. Systemdesign and cutting performance of the latest generation stent and tube cutting systems offer significant advantages and capability over legacy machines for increased productivity and enabling product innovation with better process capability. Whether using the fibre or femtosecond laser, improvements to motion, controller and control software make the latest stent and tube cutting system superior to legacy systems or provide new capability for future manufacturing needs.

Amada Miyachi Europe www.amadamiyachieurope.com

Amada Miyachi America www.amadamiyachi.com

58

TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL May 2017

www.read-tpi.com