WHAT IS MICROMANUFACTURING?
Micromanufacturing is sometimes misunderstood because it has two meanings. Manufacturing a small number of parts can be called micromanufacturing, as can manufacturing parts that have a small size.
Micromanufacturing is a method of creating extremely fine substrate surfaces using tiny parts. These methods enable the creation of microscopic devices using an array of innovative microfabrication technologies. Most micro-parts are manufactured on silicon wafers, but this largely depends on the individual part and the process used to fabricate it.
On the other hand, micromanufacturing refers to small-scale manufacturing where facilities produce small quantities. These small-batch manufacturing operations are becoming increasingly practical as manufacturing tools become more affordable, and many companies are opting for micromanufacturing practices to keep costs low and quality high.
While these definitions may seem at odds, they both contribute to a single end goal – producing products of high quality that meet the needs of consumers. Let’s discuss them in detail to help you understand how each can help you with your next project.
Micromanufacturing is the future
Micromanufacturing. As soon as I type the word, my Grammarly spell checker underlines it in red and suggests a new spelling: “micro-manufacturing.” However, this new spelling is just about to become mainstream.
Micromanufacturing does not mean making tiny components (microscale). There’s another definition of micromanufacturing: “Micromanufacturing is the production of small quantities of products with small manufacturing facilities.”
This refers to “tiny factories.”
How tiny are they? Right now, everything fits into one small room. Several years from now, an office copy machine will be the standard of “tiny” in micromanufacturing.
Most of us grew up around giant factories. In the beginning, they were a few feet from our backyards, then they moved to China, where they grew even larger. Some factories for making electronic boards and products are so big that you have to drive around them! So why am I talking about tiny factories? Is this even possible?
Those large manufacturing facilities dotting the landscape of China and other industrialized nations remind me of the giant computer mainframes of yesteryear. Capital intensive, these facilities are shared by a variety of users, who utilize only a portion of their capacity.
What happened to mainframes? Following the era of these computing monsters came the explosion of personal computing. The PC took something that was once shared between many and placed it in the hands of the individual.
Manufacturing, and the manufacturing of electronics in particular, will go through similar changes.
Four reasons explain why I think we’re going to see an explosion of “personal manufacturing.”
The first reason is that the equipment used to manufacture electronic devices is becoming smaller and cheaper. The machines used to produce electronic boards are not very sophisticated. Laser printers have more parts than SMT “chip shooters”.
Types of Micro Manufacturing
The five major types of micro processing available for non-plastic and plastic materials are as follows. In each category, there are various manufacturing methods; however, only some of these can be used with plastic materials.
- Subtractive Manufacturing: incorporates miniature mechanical cutting cycles like processing, turning, crushing, and cleaning. The category includes micro EDM (micro electrical discharge machining), laser beam machining, electron beam machining, and photochemical machining as well. For plastics, micro-mechanical cutting processes such as milling and turning are used in conjunction with laser beam machining.
- Additive Manufacturing: (AM) is more than 3D printing. This classification incorporates compound fume affidavit (CVD) and actual fume testimony (PVD), direct-compose processes like ink fly and laser printing, photograph electro-shaping, and LIGA, an abbreviation for lithography, electroplating, and shaping. In plastics miniature assembling, just 3D printing is utilized.
- Mass Containing: strategies incorporate miniature projecting, miniature infusion shaping, and sintering alongside miniature framing processes like stepping, expulsion, fashioning, twisting, profound drawing, steady shaping, very plastic framing, and hydro shaping. Plastics can be formed using stamping and extrusion (micro-forming processes). Micro casting is used for thermosetting resins, and micro injection molding is used for thermoplastics.
- Joining Processes: incorporate miniature mechanical get together, laser welding, vacuum binding, and holding. The first two processes are the only ones used for micro manufacture of plastics.
- Hybrid Processes: range from miniature laser-electrochemical machining (ECM) and LIGA to shape statement and laser machining, electrochemical manufacture (EFAB), and laser helped miniature framing. Combining micro machining and casting is also included in the micro manufacturing category. However, these processes cannot be used to make tiny plastic parts.
