Originally developed for the replication of high aspect ratio LIGA structures, micro injection molding is presently on its way to become an established manufacturing process. Enhanced technological products like micro optical devices are entering the market. New developments like the different kinds of injection molding with several components open up opportunities for increasing economic efficiency as well as for new fields of applications. Software tools for the simulation of the thermal household of the molding tool and/or the moldfilling process itself can provide useful but not wholly sufficient assistance for the optimization of micro injection molding.

Liquid glass is a photocurable amorphous silica nanocomposite that can be structured using soft replication molds and turned into glass via thermal debinding and sintering. Simple polymer bonding techniques allow the fabrication of complex microsystems in glass like microfluidic chips. Liquid glass is a step toward prototyping of glass microstructures at low cost without requiring cleanroom facilities or hazardous chemicals.

In microsystems technology, components made by micro injection molding are applied to an increasing extent. The variety of materials, low costs, the high number of sub-variants, and the relatively easy shaping are decisive factors. As further improvement, special variants like micro multi-component injection molding or micro powder injection molding are currently under development at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe. The goals of these research activities are not only to increase economic efficiency but also to expand the range of materials to metals and ceramics.

Industrial use of micro components is determined by the availability of efficient manufacturing techniques. While micro injection moulding of plastic is common practice, metal and ceramic powder injection moulding (PIM) still is under development. High-pressure and low-pressure injection moulding methods complement each other ideally, covering the entire spectrum from prototype to large-scale production. With high-pressure PIM, micro gear wheels with diameters \300 lm can be fabricated using LIGA mould inserts. Densities between 97 and 99% of the theoretical values are achieved. Apart from oxide ceramics, metal materials like copper or powder metallurgical steels like 17-4PH or 316L are often applied. Multi-component injection moulding requires less mounting steps and, hence, offers decisive advantages for effective production of interesting material combinations like electrically conductive/insulating or hard/ductile. Studies relating to the fabrication of immobile as well as mobile shaft-wheel components were performed. Other activities focussed on in-mould labelling with foils containing ultrafine particles to improve surface quality and detail accuracy. Low-pressure injection moulding allows for the manufacture of small series within 1-4 weeks at low cost. However, the process has features which are not compatible with high-pressure PIM. Although use of a low-viscous feedstock is associated with various benefits, low-pressure injection moulding has not met with acceptance in micro moulding.