304 316L Stainless Steel Tube Precision Laser Cutting Milling Side Hole Needle

Product Description

304 / 316L Stainless Steel Tubing Precision Laser Cutting and CNC Milling for Side-Hole Needles is an advanced, multi-process manufacturing service dedicated to producing high-performance, custom fluidic needles with complex lateral features. Starting with seamless or welded-drawn 304/316L stainless steel tubing, we employ high-precision laser cutting for primary shaping and fine CNC milling to create precise, clean side ports, slots, or intricate lateral geometries. This hybrid approach combines the speed of laser cutting for external contours with the unmatched accuracy and edge quality of CNC milling for critical internal or side features, resulting in needles with exceptional dimensional control, burr-free side holes, and superior performance for demanding micro-fluidic applications.

Product Processing

1. Material Selection & Preparation: Certified 304 or 316L stainless steel tubing is selected based on corrosion resistance requirements. Tubing is cut to oversize length and straightened if necessary.

2. Precision Laser Cutting (Primary Shaping): A fiber laser cutter with rotary axis precision-cuts the tubing to the final needle length and can create initial external tapers or profiles. This step ensures perfect perpendicularity and clean ends.

3. CNC Micro-Milling (Side-Hole Machining - Core Process): The laser-cut tube is fixtured in a high-precision CNC milling machine (often a micro-machining center or Swiss-type lathe with live tooling). Using micro-end mills, the side ports are machined. This allows for:

   • Extremely precise hole diameter and position.

   • Complex hole shapes (e.g., rectangular slots, tapered ports, undercuts).

   • Superior internal edge quality with minimal to zero burrs.

   • Accurate intersection between the side hole and the internal lumen.

4. Tip Grinding & Forming: The distal tip is ground to the specified geometry (lancet, pencil point, blunt) using CNC grinding, ensuring concentricity with the milled side features.

5. Deburring, Cleaning & Surface Enhancement: Any minimal burrs from milling are removed via precision deburring tools or electrochemical processes. The needle undergoes ultrasonic cleaning, passivation (per ASTM A967), and optional electropolishing for a ultra-smooth, contamination-free fluid path.

6. Comprehensive Metrology: Each needle is inspected using optical measurement systems, video measuring machines, and possibly micro-CT scanning to verify side-hole dimensions, position, internal surface finish, and overall geometry.

Product Applications

• Advanced Chromatography & Mass Spectrometry: Micro-flow and nano-flow LC/MS needles with precisely positioned side ports for sheath gas or sample introduction, minimizing dead volume.

• Microfluidic & Lab-on-a-Chip Devices: Integrated needles with side channels for reagent mixing, droplet generation, or cell injection.

• Precision Medical Sampling/Infusion: Specialized biopsy or micro-infusion needles where side-port location and geometry are critical for targeted tissue sampling or drug delivery (e.g., into specific tissue layers).

• Fuel Injection & Sensor Technology: High-precision injector components or sensor probes requiring exact side-hole geometry for spray pattern or sampling accuracy.

• Semiconductor Manufacturing: Gas distribution nozzles or chemical delivery probes with specific lateral diffusion patterns.

Product Technical Parameters (Detailed Table)