About Thornbury Manufacturing
Thornbury Manufacturing Ltd (TML), founded in 1995 and based in Plymouth, is a UK specialist in precision engineering and manufacturing. Operating from a 20,000 sq. ft facility, TML offers a comprehensive one-stop-shop service that includes thermoplastic injection moulding, ferrous and non-ferrous metal pressings, tooling, printing (pad and laser), assembly and packaging. The company is ISO 13485 certified, ensuring stringent quality control and full traceability for medical device manufacturing. With expertise spanning plastics-to-metal bonding and technical moulding, TML serves diverse sectors—particularly the medical industry—delivering highly engineered components and assemblies.
The challenge
As part of its commitment to quality and compliance, TML needed a reliable, high-precision solution for marking medical components, which run from 2000 per month to 100,000 a year. The markings had to meet strict regulatory requirements for traceability, ensuring every part could be tracked back through the supply chain. Traditional marking methods, such as pad printing, were inconsistent and unsuitable for the medical sector’s rigorous standards.
TML required:
- Consistent, high-quality marking on a range of materials including sensitive plastics.
- A solution that could integrate seamlessly into their production workflow.
- Technology that would future-proof their operations and allow flexibility for new projects.
Why Laser Lines?
TML approached Laser Lines, the UK’s longest-established supplier of laser and additive manufacturing solutions, because of its reputation for technical expertise and consultative approach.
Michael Walsh, sales director at TML, says: “Pad printing was inconsistent, and we wanted to use a technology that wasn’t affected by ink viscosity, temperature and operator skill. Laser marking gives us 100% accuracy every time but with many products available, we wanted to collaborate with a partner who could make this decision simpler. We wanted to work with a company that understood the manufacturing and production challenges we face, the demands of the medical industry as well as which technology was going to be the best choice for our future investment. We’ve worked with Laser Lines for 15 years. They’ve always been helpful, even when we only needed parts or advice. That trust is why we went back to them.”
The solution
After detailed discussions and sample testing, Laser Lines recommended the Sisma Easy laser marking workstation with a 20W MOPA laser and integrated fixturing. The MOPA (Master Oscillator Power Amplifier) lasers offer adjustable pulse durations, enabling ultra-short pulses with high energy. This flexibility is critical for medical applications where material integrity matters and where you are marking on extremely sensitive material.
“The ability to fine-tune parameters means TML can mark different plastics without causing damage,” explains Lee Sells, Laser Lines’ Laser sales specialist. “Competitors often can’t offer that level of control.”
The integrated vision system provides a real-time view of the marking area, ensuring precise placement and focus. This feature reduces errors and supports TML’s compliance requirements. “It’s the most accurate way of doing it,” says Lee. “Operators can see exactly where the text will be placed before pressing go.
“We don’t just sell machines; we work with customers to understand their application and find the best solution,” he adds. “For TML, it wasn’t about the most expensive system—it was about finding the right system for their needs.”
Laser Lines’ consultative process
Laser Lines’ approach went beyond supplying hardware. The team worked closely with TML to produce high-quality samples for validation, provide on-site training and support as well as advising on future-proofing technology. It also offered added value by customising and creating some jigs for TML, specifically to hold parts in the correct place on the system so the internal team didn’t need to worry about this part of the process.
“Preparing samples is the most important part of our process,” says Lee. “If the marking time or quality isn’t right, it won’t fit into production. We make sure everything works before installation. We have our systems running at our HQ in Banbury which means that we can prepare the samples in-house. This has a real impact on how quickly we can get the samples back to a customer as we don’t need to send the off to the manufacturer in Europe or further afield.”
Results
- Improved accuracy: Consistent, high-quality marking that meets regulatory standards.
- Enhanced efficiency: Faster marking times without compromising quality.
- Future-proof technology: Ability to handle new materials and marking requirements.
- Compliance support: Full audit trail for ISO 13485 and medical device regulations.
Looking ahead
TML continues to expand its medical portfolio, confident that its laser marking capability can scale with demand. “We’ve got another project in the pipeline and Laser Lines is already helping us with samples. They’re not just a supplier—they’re a long-term partner,” says Michael.