The manufacturing of diabetic test strips is a web-based process dominated by two competing electrode technologies: Screen Printing (using carbon/silver inks for low cost, e.g., LifeScan) and Laser Ablation (using sputtered gold/palladium for high precision, e.g., Abbott).

Key production stages include:

1. Electrode Patterning: Defining the circuit on a PET substrate.

2. Reagent Deposition: Applying enzymes (GDH/GOx) and mediators via micro-dispensing or slot-die coating.

3. Capillary Assembly: Laminating a spacer and hydrophilic top layer to ensure rapid blood uptake.

4. Calibration: Assigning batch codes or achieving "No Coding" status through strict tolerance control.

The industry has largely shifted toward Thin-Film metals to enable smaller sample volumes (<0.6 µL) and faster reaction times, driven by the need to meet ISO 15197:2013 accuracy requirements.