Micro-manufacturing: research, technology outcomes and development issues

Abstract

Βεσιδεσ χοντινυινγ εφφορτ ιν δεϖελοπινγ ΜΕΜΣ−βασεδ mανυφαχτυρινγ τεχηνιθυεσ, λατεστ εφφορτ ιν Μιχρο−mανυφαχτυρινγ ισ αλσο ιν Νον−ΜΕΜΣ−βασεδ mανυφαχτυρινγ. Ρεσεαρχη ανδ τεχηνολογιχαλ δεϖελοπmεντ (ΡΤD) ιν τηισ φιελδ ισ ενχουραγεδ βψ τηε ινχρεασεδ δεmανδ ον mιχρο−χοmπονεντσ ασ ωελλ ασ προmισεδ δεϖελοπmεντ ιν τηε σχαλινγ δοων οφ τηε τραδιτιοναλ mαχρο−mανυφαχτυρινγ προχεσσεσ φορ mιχρο−λενγτη−σχαλε mανυφαχτυρινγ. Τηισ παπερ ηιγηλιγητσ σοmε ΕΥ φυνδεδ ρεσεαρχη αχτιϖιτιεσ ιν mιχρο/νανο−mανυφαχτυρινγ, ανδ γιϖεσ εξαmπλεσ οφ τηε λατεστ δεϖελοπmεντ ιν mιχρο−mανυφαχτυρινγ mετηοδσ/τεχηνιθυεσ, προχεσσ χηαινσ, ηψβριδ− προχεσσεσ, mανυφαχτυρινγ εθυιπmεντ ανδ συππορτινγ τεχηνολογιεσ/δεϖιχε, ετχ., ωηιχη ισ φολλοωεδ βψ α συmmαρψ οφ τηε αχηιεϖεmεντσ οφ τηε ΕΥ ΜΑΣΜΙΧΡΟ προϕεχτ. Φιναλλψ, χονχλυδινγ ρεmαρκσ αρε γιϖεν, ωηιχη ραισε σεϖεραλ ισσυεσ χονχερνινγ φυρτηερ δεϖελοπmεντ ιν mιχρο−mανυφαχτυρινγ.

Developing ultrafine-grained materials with high strength and good ductility for micro-forming applications

“…Therefore, HPT processing plus post-HPT annealing provides an alternative processing route for the development of materials suitable for use in micro-forming. [1] Experiments were conducted on an Al-1% Mg alloy to evaluate the effect of introducing a rm anneal following HPT processing. This alloy had an initial annealed grain size of ∼ 400 µm which was refined to ∼ 200 nm with a high fraction of high-angle grain boundaries through processing by HPT at room temperature.…”

“…Non-silicon material-based micro-manufacturing is an emerging field that has attracted considerable research interest [1]. As demands on miniature/micro-metal products increase significantly, micrometal-forming becomes an attractive option in the manufacturing of these products due to its advantageous characteristics for mass production with controlled quality and low cost [2].…”

Manufacturing of metallic micro-components using hybrid soft lithography and micro-electrical discharge machining

“…The LIGA is an acronym of a German word for lithography, electroforming, and moulding. In this process, high aspect ratios could be achieved based on the combination of synchrotron radiation lithography and galvanoforming [12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Laser micro-machining is a non-lithographic fabrication process, in which a laser beam is emitted in narrow and well-defined wavelengths with high power that can remove materials such as fine particles and vapour from a substrate.…”

Influences of temperature and grain size on the material deformability in microforming process

“…Since the laser can be precisely controlled dimensionally as well as directionally, it is most effective when it is used to selectively heat a highly located area, rather than bulk heating of an entire part [16]. Laser heating has been thought to be a promising alternative to existing technologies such as induction or conductive heating to achieve the potential of microforming at elevated temperatures [17], and has been utilised extensively in the microforming of various metals to produce high quality microparts [13,[18][19][20].…”