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Abstract:The need of fully automated microassembly systems place specific functional requirements on the design and fabrication of critical elements such as grippers, sensors, manipulators and feeders. A new microfeeder design is proposed based on contactless pneumatic distributed manipulation. By cooperation of dynamically programmable microactuators, a number of feeding functions and even some elementary assembly operations can be achieved.

A lack of well defined Design for Microassembly (DF^iA) methodologies to enable an increased transfer of prototypes from the research lab to production on industrial scale has been identified. The main benefit of such a methodology is the adaptation of the design by matching it with microassembly process characteristics. In addition there needs to be a push in metrology equipment to respond to the ongoing trend of miniaturisation, enabling quality assurance for three dimensional products with nanometer scale features. The presented paper addresses these two gaps by utilising a novel DFjuA methodology to enable a state-of-the-art CMM stylus assembly, which is characterised by extremely rigid and challenging requirements. The design of the parts to be assembled is shown. Furthermore the selection of the most suitable assembly equipment is supported. Finally the actual assembly system is described and illustrated as proof of validation.

The 21st century sees significant breakthroughs in fabricating micro devices in the quest of miniaturising. Most micro parts have been manufactured in the range of less than 1mm. However, they are built based on material that is process dependant, resulting in monolithic parts. For example the Integrated Circuits, Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) are silicon based, and on their own do not constitute a complex system that requires various functions. To pursue fully functional and miniaturised complex devices, microassembly is therefore necessary. However, microassembly processes differ from the assembly processes in the macro world. Microassembly encounters sticking effects in parts handling, adhesive forces from electrostatic attraction, van der Walls forces and surface tension [1, 2]. This paper envisions microassembly processes by using an innovative approach. It departs from the traditional assembly process by utilising the Projection Micro Stero Lithography, with a positioning algorithm to assemble micro parts without traditional handling and joining, named in situ microassembly process.