Microsecond fiber lasers have been used successfully to cut hypotubes and stents for many years. While these lasers are precise and fast, they have a downside. Parts cut with them require several post-processing operations, which add cost and can damage delicate parts.
Now, a new technology, disk-based femtosecond lasers, has been introduced that promises to solve that problem. These lasers produce ultra-short pulses—less than 400 femtoseconds—that leave no thermal fingerprint on the part. A femtosecond is 10-15 second. A 300-femtosecond laser pulse is just 90 microns long.