What is medical marking? Medical marking is a process that administers a legible design on devices like dental drills and surgical instruments. Since removing material from medical devices can weaken the integrity of the device, medical marking requires high-quality marks that don’t damage the material on which they’re being administered. But it’s also vital that these devices can be easily sterilized, which isn’t achievable with some competitive processes. Medical marking allows manufacturers to produce legible marks without damaging the substrate material. And this is done so with the use of a focused laser.
How does medical marking work? The medical marking process uses an annealing mark to identify parts. By operating a focused laser under specific parameters, a material can be brought below its annealing temperature, which results in an oxide layer, and a dark mark on the surface of the material. Manufacturers precipitate a chromium oxide to change the color. Since the laser engraving process removes material from a product, it weakens it but it also creates a cavern where bacteria can grow. Using the annealing process for medical marking eradicates both of these issues.
What is the medical marking process? As the medical industry’s traceability requirements become more and more restricting, finding ways to mark parts can be a
challenge. One method is medical marking, which uses a laser to mark a part without destroying the material. During the medical marking process, LMT focuses the heat of a laser on a substrate, causing the oxidation of the material. When the material cools, manufacturers are left with a dark mark. Depending on the material with which you’re working, the medical marking process can yield different types of results.
Medical marking can commonly be seen in trauma instruments, saw blades, forceps, and many additional medical supplies. The marks produced by this process are highly precise and legible. Laser marking is the most common form of ensuring part
traceability in the medical industry because of its integrity.
