High-tech in the OP

Laser welding of implants in the clean room

Every day, countless people break countless bones. Modern medical instruments and implants speed up the healing process. createch ag in Langenthal supports these efforts with the most modern laser technologies and applications.

Manufacturing these instruments demands a high degree of expertise, hygiene and precision. Before the laser operator starts work, he washes himself thoroughly. He then puts on special clothing including a hood and protective gloves. Finally, he disinfects his workplace in the clean room cell in accordance with strict internal instructions.

Then he carefully unpacks the titanium implant that will be inserted in patients with broken upper arms. Each implant must be mounted according to an instruction document before it is laser welded. Once the implant is pre-assembled within the batch and the laser parameters are adjusted according to the manufacturing instructions, a test piece can be laser-welded. All test features must be checked and documented before the laser-welded implant is prepared for a metallographic sample. For this stage also, the laser operator must have specialist skills; the handling of etching acids in the company laboratory allows no room for error. If the metallographic sample yields a positive result, the expert digitally measures the weld seam and documents it on the test certificate.

If all the test features satisfy the customer’s requirements, laser welding of the manufacturing batch can start. After the welding process, all implants are subjected to examination under the microscope for cracks and pores. The last implant of the series is additionally measured all round by means of a destructive metallographic sample.

Once machining is complete, the implants are packaged, still within the clean room. As soon as the laser operator has completed the documentation, he takes the product to goods dispatch. It’s not unusual for laser-welded implants to be delivered to our customer that very same day. A little later they can once again do all their everyday tasks as if they had never had an accident.