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Small matter
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13/07/2008
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Micro-manufacturing techniques could soon be leaping from the pilot scale into true industrial production. Julie Bieles reports
A UK-led consortium hopes to take micro-manufacturing techniques – micro products that have sub-millimetre features or sizes – into mass production.
The original €21m Masmicro project, which finishes this year, was set-up to facilitate miniature and micro product mass manufacture. Thirty-six European partners – including eight from the UK – are involved in the project, of which 18 are industrial partners.
Masmicro has developed several prototype machines and tools. Project coordinator Yi Qin, of Strathclyde University, now wants to develop these for industry.
“In future projects we will focus on more applications and more materials – as this project is focused mainly on metals,” he says.
There are also plans to exploit and commercialise the technology and expand the applications developed during the project. Masmicro has produced more than 50 exploitable results to date. Three spin-offs – in air bearings and high-speed spindle design and development for machinery, automation of inspection, and in-situ micro- and nano-testing – have used significant results from the project.
“We will look at the more challenging products, and how we transfer technologies into the production line and provide the technology service,” he says.
The technology service provides a micro-manufacturing design and manufacturing service covering products, analysis, materials, testing, tools, machines, inspection, assembly and manufacturing automation.
The project has developed the first machine for forming tubular miniature or micro-parts with a hydro-forming configuration, and can form 1.8mm diameter tubes with a 40 micron thickness.
Many micro-manufacturing techniques are not new – these include chemical etching and machining – but none are yet commercially viable at the micro-scale.
“You can do things very slowly, even manually – but you need the machines and tools that will support the industrial applications,” says Yi. “We want to transfer the techniques and technology to the production line.
Forming is a technique with potentially high efficiency of production – but is difficult to implement at the micro-level. Micro moulds and micro dies are another area for development. Qin says: “It’s very interesting because a lot of micro-manufacturing techniques are based on use of the micro-tools. Without capable tools, it is impossible to make satisfactory micro-parts.”
Design issues
Designing micro-products may be similar to macro design, says Qin. However, the size effect – dimensional issues at the small scale – comes into play.
“You can still use the same software, but with small components you have to deal with the material – which has strict requirements in terms of microstructures and manufacturability, and challenges in characterisation of material properties at smaller scales,” he says.
“You are dealing with tools, handling, and assembling machines, which need to deal with interfacial issues, gravity issues, precision issues. These factors must be incorporated into your design software – because they have influence on the manufacturability.”
The project is developing a knowledge-based system for design activities, which will help designers assess whether a part can be manufactured.
“This also helps identify opportunities for the designer,” says Dr Qin.
Future developments include micro sheet parts, used in electronic products, micro-mechanical devices, MEMS, CD players, mobile phones and DVD players. The consortium also plans to develop micro-tubular components – hydroformed hollow sectioned components.
“If we can make these components in reasonable efficiency, they can be used for micro-fluidic devices, reactors, heat exchangers and cooling devices. We can manufacture them now with the prototype tools and machines. But for industrial scale production, we may have to need one or two years to refine the technology and facilities.”
POINTERS
* Micro products that have sub-millimetre features or sizes could soon be made by mass production
* The project has developed a machine for forming tubular miniature or micro-parts – 1.8mm diameter tubes with a 40micron thickness
* Future developments include micro-mechanical devices, MEMS and parts for electronic devices
* Masmicro project has produced more than 50 exploitable results to date, and three spin-offs
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Author
Tom Shelley
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