Medical Devices and Sheet Metal Processing

Behind that milestone, our teams in Costa Rica and Sarstedt have been working closely to prepare the facility for operations. As the cleanroom is now equipped, the focus is on transferring knowledge, establishing proven processes, and ensuring the same quality standards our customers know from MeKo. Expanding internationally is never just about opening another location. It is about bringing decades of manufacturing experience to a new team and creating the foundation for long-term collaboration. We're looking forward to sharing the next milestones as our Costa Rica facility moves closer to welcoming its first projects.

Hand someone this component, and they will almost always do the same thing: They rotate it, flex it, and try to work out how it stays together. That reaction is exactly why we made it. At first, it almost looks impossible. Every segment is completely separated from the next, yet the structure remains mechanically connected through its interlocking geometry alone. With its 25 mm diameter, the geometry becomes easy to explore by hand and even easier to understand. Interlocking designs like these are used wherever flexibility and controlled movement need to coexist, for example in steerable systems or cable-guiding applications. We regularly bring this Flextube, together with versions in smaller diameters, to trade fairs and customer meetings. It gives us a practical way to explore different cutting patterns, movement characteristics, and manufacturing possibilities long before a specific component has been designed. Choosing a manufacturing partner is not only about knowing what can be produced. It is also about understanding what becomes possible once manufacturing experience becomes part of the conversation. This Flextube was built for exactly that reason. It makes the possibilities of laser-cutting tangible, sparks curiosity, and often turns a simple "How does this work?" into "Could we use something like this for our device?"

A Nitinol component can meet every dimension on the drawing and still not behave as intended. At first, that sounds impossible. If every tolerance is met, shouldn't the component perform exactly as designed? For many implant alloys, geometry tells most of the story. With Nitinol, it doesn't. Its superelastic behavior depends on a reversible transformation within its crystal structure. And unlike geometry, that behavior isn't defined by the drawing alone. It is influenced by how the material has been processed. Every shape setting, every heat treatment and every surface-finishing step can influence the conditions under which that transformation takes place. The challenge is not simply producing the correct geometry. It is preserving the material's intended behavior while turning a tube into a functional and safe medical device. That is why experience matters. Not because Nitinol is mysterious but because understanding how laser processing, heat treatment and surface finishing interact takes years of observation , refinement and validation. Each process leaves its own fingerprint on the material. On their own, those changes may seem insignificant. Together, they determine whether the component ultimately exhibits the intended superelastic behavior, fatigue performance and reproducibility. It is this understanding that allows the finished component to perform exactly as the design intended.

"How big are your laser systems?" It was one of the questions we were asked most frequently at IdeenExpo. The answer is simple: it depends on the application. The size of the component and the required level of precision determine which laser system is the right fit. The photo, for example, shows the approximately five-meter-high storage tower of one of the sheet metal laser systems used in our MetalWorks division. For highly intricate components such as stents or heart valve frames, we rely on much smaller laser systems, many of which are designed and built in-house . This allows us to tailor both the equipment and the manufacturing process to the specific requirements of each application, from large-format sheet metal processing to micron-level precision. If you're curious about how the right manufacturing technology can influence your component design or production strategy, we'd be happy to discuss your project and show you the technologies behind it.

A MeKo bottle on a beach was all it took. A few years ago, one of our colleagues sent a photo of her MeKo water bottle from a beach in Denmark as a holiday greeting to a few teammates. It found its way into our weekly internal newsletter, and what started with one photo gradually turned into a tradition . Today, colleagues regularly send us holiday greetings featuring their MeKo bottles, mugs, shirts, jackets, and plenty of beautiful destinations along the way. From Thailand to Norway , from mountain peaks to the ocean, every picture brings a different story and a little glimpse into where our colleagues' adventures have taken them. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has shared these moments with us over the years and thank you to our colleague Annett who started this tradition. We always look forward to the next postcard from the MeKo community, wherever in the world it may come from.

Happy Independence Day to our customers, partners, and friends across the United States. Over the past year, we have had the opportunity to connect with many of you through projects, events, and conversations. We are grateful for the trust, collaboration, and long-term partnerships that connect us. Wishing everyone a wonderful Fourth of July filled with celebration, relaxation, and time with family and friends.

The doors are open and FILTECH has started. You will find the MeKo-Team at our booth in Hall 7, Booth L21 . We are looking forward to meeting familiar faces, making new connections, and talking about the challenges that come with demanding filtration applications. If you are at the show, feel free to stop by.

Next week, FILTECH opens its doors in Cologne. Arif Reichling and [ Stefan Lange ]( https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefan-lange-165284b2/ will be there throughout the event, discussing filtration applications where standard solutions reach their limits and customized approaches become necessary. If you are attending and would like to exchange ideas on current projects, feel free to stop by and meet the team. See you there!

After months of preparation, countless ideas, and a lot of teamwork, IdeenExpo has finally opened its doors today. A big thank you to everyone who helped make this possible by developing and building exhibits, planning the booth, and taking care of the many details behind the scenes. Now comes the part we've been working toward. Who will set the fastest time at our foosball table? Who can beat our quality inspection challenge under the microscope? And which questions will make even us stop and think? If you're visiting IdeenExpo, stop by Hall 8, Booth PN-06 . We'd love to welcome you and give you a hands-on look into the world of MeKo.

From climbing walls to country roads. One of the things we enjoy seeing at MeKo is how new activities grow among colleagues . A while ago, climbing became part of our after-work activities. Now, a group of colleagues has added bike tours to the list. Despite a rather mixed weather forecast, eight colleagues met on Saturday for the first joint MeKo bike tour . Wind, rain showers, and the closed ice cream café on the way did not stop the group. What was planned as 37 kilometers spontaneously turned into 42. A special thank you goes to Thomse, one of our laser system operators, who turned the idea into reality and organized the first tour. It is great to see colleagues share interests, stay active, and spend time together beyond the workday.

At first glance, our filter samples look like regular metal sheets. Hold them against the light, and the difference becomes visible: thousands of precisely laser-perforated holes across every square centimeter. What is harder to see is what determines performance in operation. A filter can have the right cut-off and still become the bottleneck. Flow behavior, cleanability, pressure loss, mechanical stability, service life, and even how easily a filter can be installed are all influenced by decisions made long before the first part enters the process. That is where filtration becomes interesting. Creating holes at this scale already requires high-precision laser processing . But performance is decided by how cut-off, flow, cleanability, stability, and installation work together. With FILTECH just around the corner, we look forward to discussing where specifications become process challenges.

Making technology visible is one thing. Making it understandable is another. That is why preparing for IdeenExpo GmbH is not just about setting up exhibits. It is also about the people at the booth. Throughout the event, around 60 MeKo colleagues will be there to answer questions, share insights, and help visitors experience engineering and manufacturing firsthand. Over the past few days, our team came together for several briefing sessions to test the exhibits, walk through the activities, and prepare for the many conversations ahead. For us, IdeenExpo is more than an exhibition. It is an opportunity to spark curiosity, encourage young people to explore STEM fields, and make engineering a little more tangible. If you are in the area, with family or simply curious yourself, IdeenExpo is well worth a visit. You will find us at Booth PN-06 in Hall 8 .

FILTECH is just around the corner. From June 30 to July 2 , you will find our MeKo experts Arif Reichling and Stefan Lange at one of the world's leading events for filtration and separation technologies. When standard filter media reaches its limits, laser-perforated components and customized assemblies can open up new possibilities. Whether you are facing demanding media, tight cut-off requirements, or cleaning challenges, we look forward to exchanging ideas in Cologne.

Yesterday marked the start of this year's STADTRADELN campaign in our hometown Sarstedt, and we're once again taking part. Whether it's the commute to work, an evening ride, or a weekend tour, the goal over the coming weeks is simple: collect as many kilometers as possible together. This year is a special one for Sarstedt, as the city is celebrating its 10th anniversary of participating. We're looking forward to a few weeks of friendly competition, fresh air, and plenty of kilometers. Let's see where Team MeKo ends up by the finish line.

Great employers never stop evolving. That is why Frank Völkermeyer, Mandy Erhardt, Katja Jacobsen, Jasmin Maaz, and Ina Stumpf from our HR team attended the NiedersachsenMetall Employer Forum in Hanover last week. Under the theme "Hanover – Breaking Free from Mediocrity," the event explored how the Hanover region can remain an attractive place to live and work in the years ahead. Topics included vocational training, employee retention, mental health in the workplace, and modern leadership. Alongside the presentations, the exchange with other companies was especially valuable. We are taking away plenty of new ideas and look forward to putting some of them into practice at MeKo.