Welcome and introduction

Guido Tosello, Associate Professor DTU Mechanical Engineering, Lyngby (DK)
Michael Døssing, Technical Director, Actura Nanotech ApS, Aarhus (DK)

 

Functionality by Structure – taking injection moulding into the nanotechnology-age

Theodor Nielsen, CEO and founder, NIL Technology ApS (DK)

NIL Technology har udviklet en unik metode til at nanostrukturere kurvede overflader af sprøjtestøbningsforme. Metoden gør det muligt at sprøjtestøbe plastikprodukter med en nanostruktureret overflade, hvilket hidtil ikke har været muligt udover i meget begrænsede tilfælde og typisk kun for plane overflader som fx CD’er.

Theodor Nielsen holds an engineering masters degree from The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) where he has specialized in nanotechnology. He has worked with nanoimprint lithography since 2003 and is one of the founders of NIL Technology where he has held the position as CEO since 2006. Since start-up of NIL Technology, Theodor Nielsen has been responsible for attracting investments to the company and for the engagement in National and EC funded research projects. NIL Technology has 12 full time employees.

Micro Moulded Interconnect Devices (µMIDs) for Electro-mechanical applications: process chains, quality inspection and corrosion prevention

Dr. Aminul Islam, Associate Professor, Centre for Acoustic Mechanical Micro Systems, Technical University of Denmark

The trend towards miniaturization is ever going for electro-mechanical and micro mechanical components used in (for examples) hearing aids, mobile phone, medical devices etc.

The Moulded Interconnect Device (MID) technology can offer the possibility to reduce the part size by combining electrical and mechanical functions in the same components. On the other hand, the miniaturization of MIDs raises challenges in terms of materials, process chains, geometrical precision etc. The precision limit of MIDs in terms of positioning accuracies, dimensional fidelity and surface topography of the metal tracks is discussed in this presentation.

Another concern for MIDs is the corrosion of metal tracks. The corrosion of the MID parts based on different base materials, layer thickness, mechanical wear and environmental conditions are discussed. A novel method for the corrosion protection of the metal surface is proposed. The results obtained from the tests demonstrate the feasibility of the use of µMIDs for advance application like in the hearing aids and an efficient protection of the MIDs from corrosion induced by harsh application environment is proven.

This presentation can be a valuable source of information for designing MIDs to be used in hearing aids, medical devices and other electro-mechanical applications.

Dr. Aminul Islam is a specialist in micro manufacturing having 11 years of professional experiences within the area of multi-material micro manufacturing. He has worked 5 years as R&D Program Manager for Sonion A/S before he joins CAMM Centre during 2014. Dr. Islam’s research interest comprises advanced materials & processing, multi-material micro moulding, micro powder moulding, process control and optimization, moulded interconnect devices (MIDs), hearing aid technology and components etc. He has contributed to the development of about 20 industrial products in the application area of hearing aid, medical applications, automotive and bioscience and is the author/co-author for more than 70 peer-reviewed international publications.

 

Micro injection molding in new perfection

Martin Philipp-Pichler, Product Manager MicroPower, Wittmann Battenfeld GmbH, Kottingbrunn (AT)

The MicroPower is the machine model of the PowerSeries from WITTMANN BATTENFELD specially designed for injection-molding nano and micro parts. The special remarkable feature of the MicroPower is the innovative two-step screw-and-plunger injection unit with a shot volume range from 0.05 to 4 cm3. Via this injection unit, thermally homogeneous melt is injected with the result of premium-quality parts from absolutely stable production with short cycle times. Thanks to the all-electric MicroPower’s excellent clean-room compatibility, this machine is particularly predestined for medical technology applications.

Another vital factor contributing to the MicroPower’s cost-efficiency is the fact that the entire range of peripheral equipment is perfectly geared to the production of nano and micro parts. In this way, cost cuts of 30 to 50 % compared to standard machines can be achieved.

Martin Philipp-Pichler has been working at the Technical University of Vienna as project engineer on ” Institute of mechnical manufacturing”. In 2008 he started to work at Wittmann Battenfeld as mechanical designer for the development of the MicroPower maschine. 2011 he switched to the sales department as ProductManager for the MicroPower, where he is working on new inventions on the machine as well as taking care of ”Costumer Micro Projects”.

Next generation of micro-molding machines:
                     Beyond the limits of product design and manufacturability

Enric Sireira, Sales & Vice Managing Director, ULTRASION, Barcelona (ES)

This presentation deals with the next generation of micro injection moulding promoting innovation and unrivalled precision for medical device manufacturers:

• New micro injection moulding technology which disposes of screws, barrels and heater bands, and uses ultrasonics as the melting agent.
• Massive energy and material savings, and reduced viscosity in melted polymer induced by ultrasonic melting allows the manufacture of parts until now seen as impossible.
• No residence time and no material degradation.

Seeing is believing! Helping product designers and OEM’s go beyond the current limits of the technology.

With an extensive technical and commercial background in the molding industry for over 15 years, and a strong mechanical engineering background, Enric is now leading the International expansion of ULTRASION, the first company in the world to design and develop ultrasonic molding machines to date.

Micro EDM technology for micro components and micro injection moulding tools manufacture

Angelo Quadroni, CEO, Sarix, (CH)

Micro EDM has experienced a continuous evolution in the last years, driven by the need of the micro manufacturing industry for an efficient, flexible and accurate machining process. Micro EDM, as is available in modern machines, adapts perfectly to the changing needs of the tool- and mould-making industry. This contribution will deal with the progress in on-process measurement, technology chain combination and automation offered by micro EDM.

Angelo Quadroni, Ph.D. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich, is since 2005 CEO of SARIX SA. SARIX SA delivers machines and processes for micro manufacturing to various industries like automotive, mould and tools makers and aerospace.

Micro product development and micro tool design by means of micro injection molding process simulations

Maximillian Marhöfer, PhD-student at DTU Mechanical, Technical University of Denmark

Similar to conventional injection molding, process simulations are an effective tool in micro injection molding for the optimization and simulation-aided design of micro components as well as the mold and the molding process. Although the demand for simulations in micro injection molding rises, their application must be conducted carefully, because available software packages are actually made for macroscopic injection molding.

In the presented work, the proper implementation, meshing, and modelling strategy for micro components is reported. Process simulations are applied to two microfluidic devices (micro distributor and micro mixer) fabricated in plastic and exhibiting feature sizes down to about 100 μm and aspect ratios of up to three. The goal of the simulations is the investigation of the general filling of each part and the influence of different gate configurations. The simulation results are used to evaluate the gate designs and find the most suitable one with regard to the process window, the filling behavior, and possible part quality criteria such as part flatness. An outlook on limitations and possible improvements rounds up the talk.

Maximilian Marhöfer's research interests are in the field of micro and precision manufacturing of components produced by injection and micro injection molding processes. In the context of his PhD thesis and project, he investigates the possibility of the application of process simulations to micro products made by thermoplastic and powder injection molding. Furthermore, he is member of the European Society for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology (EUSPEN).

 

Micro injection moulding of functional polymer micro components for medical applications

Ben Whiteside, Centre for Polymer Micro and Nano Technology, University of Bradford (UK)

New medical devices such as microneedle arrays pose significant challenges for large scale manufacturing using microinjection moulding techniques. Materials, tooling and the moulding process all need to be optimised together to ensure that the correct geometries can be performed accurately and reliably to meet the stringent requirements of the medical devices sector.

Here we present new techniques for process characterisation to verify simulation accuracy. In addition, we investigate micro injection moulding using ultrasonic excitation as a route for production of high aspect ratio features using medical grade materials.

Dr Ben Whiteside has been actively researching micro injection moulding since 2001. His interests include material characterisation methods and process monitoring using data acquisition systems and high speed thermal and optical imaging techniques.

Micro injection moulding and optimization of a micro acoustic component in thermoplastic elastomer

Guido Tosello, Associate professor, DTU Mechanical (DK) in collaboration with Ortofon A/S

Case study of how state of the art micro injection moulding can be utilized to manufacture a micro suspension ring (approx. 3 mg) in thermoplastic elastomer for acoustic application. The focus of the presentation will be on the development and optimization of the production setup.

Air evacuation from the mould cavity is a very important condition for consistent replication and thereby part quality. If air in the cavity is unable to escape the mould, it can form defects on the part surface or in-between the converging flow fronts causing short shots and burn marks. For micro injection moulding traditional venting channels might have similar dimensions as the functional micro features in the part which makes it rather difficult to prevent filing of the venting channels, especially considering the high pressures and temperatures usually used to achieve proper replication in micro injection moulding.

In this case the depth of a critical weld line was investigated using a focus variation microscope which could obtain 3D images of the weld line area. Suspension rings produced with different process parameters were examined to identify the correlation between the weld line depths and the utilized process settings. The undertaken optimization showed in general a reduction of 50 to 70% of the weld line depth over its entire length reducing maximum depth from 34 μm to 11 μm.

Guido Tosello is associate professor on polymer micro/nano processing at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Technical University of Denmark, where he received his PhD title "Precision Moulding of Polymer Micro Components" in 2008.
Guido holds an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Padova (Italy) and he has 8 years of experience of research on micro manufacturing.
He is member of the Polymer Group of ATV-SEMAPP, and associate member of CIRP (The International Academy for Production Engineering). He is the EU FP7 HINMICO project leader at DTU Mechanical Engineering, working together with Ortofon A/S on micro injection moulding of TPE micro components.

Ceramic Micro components

Giel Ulijn, Sales Engineer, Formatec Ceramics, Goirle (NL)

Formatec Technical Ceramics is a producer and developer of high tech ceramic parts which are supplied to a wide range of industries. Advanced ceramics provide a performance which outlasts that of common materials, for instance dimensional stability for high precision applications, it’s bio and chemical inertness, electric isolation or conductance, non-magnetic, extremely wear and heat resistant properties.

The Ceramic Injection Moulding (CIM) manufacturing process has for years demonstrated it’s benefits; with this manufacturing technology complex ceramic components are now being manufactured efficiently, precise and … micro.

Giel received his MSc degree in Tilburg, The Netherlands. The common theme throughout his carrier is the technology of injection moulding in relation to developments in production environments. At Formatec Giel experienced the need of pushing the technological boundaries of Ceramic Injection Moulding innovations in order to be competitive.

Summary and closure

Guido Tosello, Associate Professor DTU Mechanical Engineering, Lyngby (DK)
Michael Døssing, Technical Director, Actura Nanotech ApS, Aarhus (DK)

Organized by:
Guido Tosello, Associate professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and Michael Døssing, CEO, MND in cooperation with ATV-SEMAPP (The Academy Of Technical Sciences, The Society of Process- And Production Engineering)

The seminar is promoted by IDA Mechanical, IDA Polymer, Medicon Valley Alliance, Medicoindustrien and the magazine Teknovation.

Venue:
Hotel Scandic Odense, Hvidkærsvej 25, 5250 Odense.

Registration fee:
Member of ATV-SEMAPP or the collaborating organisations: DKK: 2050,-.
Ph.D. students: DKK 975,-.
Other: DKK: 2575,-
Price for B.Sc. and M.Sc.-student members: DKK 200,- (membership of students is free of charge).
The price are excl. VAT (25%) and includes participant fee, coffee and lunch as well as seminar material.
Information on membership here.

Information on possible membership of collaborating organisation must be included in the registration to have the lower fee.

The price is reduced with DKK 200,- by registration before June 8^th 2015 (not for B.Sc. and M.Sc.-student members).


Registration HERE
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7 – 4 days before the arrangement: 50% reduction
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Material for the attendees will be available HERE after the seminar (with login).