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When to Choose Laser Micromachining Part 2: Pushing the Limits of Small
When we need to make very small holes, cuts, lines and features laser micromachining is usually the best choice in our digital fabrication toolbox. Lasers that emit light in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum are especially useful in biotech and medical device applications since they can create features as small as 1 micron –…
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When to Choose Laser Micromachining Part 1: Material Absorption of Laser Wavelength
All material processing starts, of course, with the material. Laser micromachining is a good option for manufacturing parts since materials absorb light resulting in a physical transformation of the material’s structure. Whether it’s a thermal process as with infrared lasers or the ultraviolet lasers’ photo-ablative mechanism, laser light can drill holes, cut, weld, and mark…
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When to Choose Laser Micromachining Series
At Potomac we like to say that despite the mainstream media hype, 3D Printing is not yet the Star Trek replicator. The same is true for all the technologies we use to make products for our customers. From prototype to production, manufacturing tools are seldom a one-stop solution to making anything and are often used…
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3D Printing, the Orioles, and Making Wishes Come True
In recent years Potomac has added 3D Printing to our Digital Fabrication toolkit, integrating the additive manufacturing process with laser micromachining, micro CNC machining and other technologies to solve complex manufacturing problems. We’re pushing the envelope of 3D printing limitations especially in the medical device and biotech fields. But sometimes it’s the simplest of applications…
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Laser Marking an Historic H-3 Helicopter Rotor Blade
Laser marking Creates Remembrance for Marine Corp Veteran Potomac has had a long history working with U.S. government agencies over the years. Our first R&D funding came from the Small Business Innovation Research program that supported our UV laser and Laser micromachining development with grants from DARPA, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the…
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Potomac Collaboration with Fab Lab at the Community College of Baltimore County Proves to Be A Win-Win Public-Private Partnership
How we helped Fab Lab Baltimore and in the process gained valuable workforce development. Potomac’s move to the UMBC campus has reaped a number of benefits for Potomac, one of which was most unexpected. The new facility is located about a mile from the Community College of Baltimore County [CCBC] where Fab Lab Baltimore [FLB]…
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Potomac Photonics’ Economical Device Fabrication Expedites Stanford Microfluidics Research
Stanford researchers find the flexibility and affordability of the Fast Track program the right fit for R&D in biotech microfluidics project. July 9, 2015; Baltimore, MD: Fast Track, recently introduced by Potomac Photonics specifically for affordable microfluidics device fabrication, has expedited research to advance biotech applications in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Stanford…
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Laser Engraving QR Codes for an Innovative Eagle Scout Project
Digital fabrication technology has impacted some unexpected aspects of life. One recent Potomac project demonstrates how even the hallowed Eagle Scout badge has evolved to capture young people’s innovation and creativity by using the latest tools. Philip Trevisan, a recent high school graduate from Princeton, NJ, came to us when he was working to earn…
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Celebrating A Nation of Makers with President Obama
Making, inventing, fabricating, creating: Activities that drive America’s innovation history and shape the economic landscape of the nation. President Obama proclaimed June 12 – 18 a National Week of Making. Coast to coast, in cities and rural areas, Americans answered the President’s call to “renew our resolve to harness the potential of our time —…
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Calibrated Leak Test Holes for the Pharmaceutical Industry
In recent years pharmaceutical and medical device processors have increasingly relied upon packaging quality to improve product shelf life and efficacy. Whenever there is any sort of physical breach of the packaging structure, the product integrity is compromised, reducing yields and possibly safety. The resulting costs associated with poor quality in turn increase a supplier’s…
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Helping Unlock the Keys to Asthma Research with Laser Micromachining
Potomac Photonics laser micromachines small windows in glass to support research at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. Asthma is one of the leading health conditions in the world. According to the US Centers for Disease Control there are 18.7 million adults and an additional 6.8 million children living in the United States with the pulmonary…
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Potomac Photonics Expands NASA Technology to a Wide Range of Applications in Diverse Industries
Potomac was recently honored to be included in NASA’s Technology Day on the Hill, an annual event that showcases the latest transformational technologies that have resulted from NASA funding. In addition to one half-dozen congressional lawmakers and almost 300 Hill staffers, our President and CEO, Mike Adelstein, had the distinct pleasure of meeting NASA Director…
