Black laser marking on reusable medical instruments: nano or femto?

Our customer STEIGER GALVANOTECHNIQUE, equipped with both nanosecond and femtosecond laser sources, carried out a study to find out which laser was more resistant to the sterilization phases of its instruments... the results were conclusive.


Here's a summary of laser marking on reusable medical instruments:

  • Steiger Galvanotechnique SA tested the resistance of femto laser marking on its instruments using Laser Cheval equipment after 200 cycles of washing and steam sterilization. The marking showed no alteration.
  • Steiger also commissioned a comparative study from CRITT between nano and femto marking on 316L stainless steel.
  • The study showed that the femto laser enables black marking without burrs, cracks or molten layer (ZAT), which ensures better resistance to sterilization cycles.
  • With nano lasers, a molten layer forms and gradually disappears, erasing the marking.
  • The femto laser does not cause crystallographic change or iron release, limiting the risk of oxidation.
  • In conclusion, the femto laser seems more suitable for durable marking of reusable medical instruments. Steiger made the right choice in opting for Laser Cheval's Quartz Femto equipment.

    The link to the full PDF of the study can be found on this page:
    https://www.lasercheval.fr/laser-cheval/presse
Black laser marking on reusable medical instruments: nano or femto?