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Surgical implants are arguably one of the great scientific breakthroughs of all time. Artificial hips, knees, and shoulders are replacing deteriorated joints. Lap-bands, stents, and pacemakers are extending life; while ocular and dental implants are making life more enjoyable for countless others.

Today, laser technology in manufacturing touches all of our lives on a daily basis; lasers cut air bag material and weld air bag detonators for our in-car safety; lasers weld the batteries in many of our mobile devices; lasers drill aero-engine components for planes; lasers cut the glass for our smart phones and tablets screens; lasers weld the drivetrains in our cars and trucks; lasers cut medical stents that increase and enhance our lives, just to name a few.

The challenge of machining hip replacement implants out of cobalt chrome

In previous editions of the SME Medical Manufacturing Yearbook, P&M Corporate Finance has provided commentary on a variety of market forces impacting medical device manufacturers, such as regulatory considerations, reimbursement, M&A and venture capital activity. This year’s article will touch on several of those same dynamics, with a focus on the 510(k) approval process and the 2.3% medical device tax, which went into effect on January 1, 2013.

Laser technology for drilling precision holes has taken a leap forward with faster, cheaper, high-accuracy fiber lasers, which are used in the aerospace industry for turbine engine hole-drilling and other industries. Short-pulse picosecond fiber lasers are likewise making inroads, drilling small, precise holes for the medical and microelectronics industries.

n last year’s SME Medical Manufacturing Yearbook, P&M Corporate Finance provided an update on regulatory, reimbursement, M&A and venture capital activity. This year’s article will address several of the same areas, as well as provide an outlook for 2012.

While robots have been deployed in high-profile surgical applications in recent years, using a specialized apparatus like the da Vinci surgical system, the majority of industrial or commercial medical uses for robots are somewhat more commonplace.

Many industries have been making parts with micron dimensions for some time, but in the last few years, the market for miniaturization has expanded. The demand is not only for small parts, but also for small complex features on larger parts. This is due chiefly to the switch to modules in which the functions of several parts or subsystems are not handled by a single complex unit.

ABB and Microsoft Corp. today announced a strategic partnership to help industrial customers create new value with digital solutions. Customers will benefit from the unique combination of Microsoft’s intelligent cloud and ABB’s deep domain knowledge and extensive portfolio of industrial solutions.

Over the past 12 months, medical has been one of the most consistent manufacturing sectors amid steady demand. In turn, that has been a boost for makers of Swiss-style CNC automatic lathes, known for their ability to produce small parts.