Saint-Gobain Medical introduces FreeWave silicone laser processing

Paris, France – Design for Manufacturing (DFM) forces engineers to make concessions in the name of manufacturability, rather than produce the optimal component needed for their project. The concept that you must adhere to the rules of DFM in order to successfully design a silicone molded part with intricate features or finishing elements is based on the current limitations of silicone processing and mechanical secondary operations. With FreeWave™ specialized silicone laser processing you are no longer restricted by those constraints.

With Saint-Gobain’s new FreeWave laser processing, you are now free to design the best possible part for unsurpassed medical device performance. Using existing precision silicone molding expertise, combined with the new FreeWave laser processing, Saint-Gobain enables customers to create previously unimaginable part designs.

Features such as unique hole shapes and locations (i.e. through only one side of the part) are now a reality. The cuts are clean and char-free. Degradation of punch tooling often impacts quality and reliability of parts today. With FreeWave processing, quality and reliability are increased by the elimination of punch tooling as well as minimized part handling. FreeWave allows for quick, iterative prototyping that reduces the design development cycle.