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Blog Entries

• Micro Molding and Micro Assembly of Medical and Drug Delivery Devices
  December 1, 2017
• A True Platform Single Dose, Disposable Dry Powder Inhaler
  October 26, 2017
• Dry Powder Inhaler Makes Patient Use Easy
  October 6, 2017
• Tiny Medical Device Validation – Designing or Success
  September 20, 2017
• Micro Expert to speak at upcoming conference
  September 8, 2017

MES’s EXPERTISE WILL MAKE YOUR MICRO MANUFACTURING AND ASSEMBLY PROJECT A SUCCESS!

8/27/13  Automated micro assembly has to be considered when looking at any micro manufacturing project, as no micro project can be successful commercially unless there are reliable and cost-effective assembly technologies that can handle products and components on a micro scale. Technologies required to facilitate micro assembly are vision systems, micro positioners, micro grippers, high resolution and high precision transfer tools for handling parts and components, clean room facilities, and real-time computer vision for controlling servo mechanisms and motors for alignment and assembly of parts with sub-micron tolerances.

MES is expert in the most appropriate micro manufacturing and assembly techniques for your project. In all successful projects, MES is engaged early and is a strategic partner in a client’s micro manufacturing and assembly endeavors. MES has an in-depth understanding of the scaling problems that are characteristic of micron-sized components or components with micron sized features.

In common with other aspects of the micro manufacturing world, material and process behaviors when assembling at the micro level are different from traditional assembly. Gravity is no longer the dominant force at work in many circumstances, running a distant second to surface tension and electrostatic attraction, and in the world of micro assembly, liquids flow upwards through capillary action.

As speedy and cost-effective assembly is the key to successful commercial micro manufacturing, it is vital that your choice of partner for a micro manufacturing project has the knowledge and expertise required to execute efficient micro component assembly.

MES IS EXPERT IN THE ART OF MICRO MOLDING!

8/8/13     Micro molding refers to a set of fabrication techniques that produce tiny speck-sized components or extremely small features on larger plastic products. As technology has advanced, it is now possible to use equipment customized to micro molding rather than attempting to scale down part size on standard molding machines. MES is expert in the art of micro molding, and allows its clients to take advantage of the inherent advantages of the process which include relatively inexpensive tooling, quick cycle times, extremely accurate parts, achievement of tight tolerances, and the attainment of seemingly radical part geometries.

The key to achieving success in micro molding is to choose your supplier carefully, as an in-depth understanding of the vagaries of the process and expertise in the    execution of mission  critical projects is vital. The nature of micro molding is such that it cannot simply be treated as a scaled down version of traditional molding,  as numerous tolerances and behaviours of  parts and materials change hugely when working at the micron level. More and more OEMs are treating their micro  manufacturing sub-contractors as project partners these days, as the  key to success in micro manufacturing in general and micro molding in particular is an  appreciation of the nuts and bolts of the process from the very early stages of product design.

MES works with clients who have a rough conception of product characteristics or fully worked up 3D CAD solid models all the way through design, assembly, and  high volume manufacturing of micro molded components. What is important is an ability to assess the manufacturability of products early in the design stage, and  to be able to advise clients of design reiterations that may be necessary to save the cost of manufacturing problems found post-tooling.

 

MICRO MACHINING

7/31/13   The definition of micro machining varies from OEM to OEM. Some see it as machining down to the size of a micron, while for others it is introducing a level of precision previously impossible.

Either way, as the name implies, micro machining means tiny tolerances and tiny features on parts. Used throughout industry, micro machined parts can be either metal or plastics, and the demand for the process has grown exponentially in recent years as the trend towards miniaturization has accelerated.

In many ways the principle behind the process is the same as traditional machining, only as in common with most micro manufacturing processes, the behavior of processes and materials at the micro level are not the same as on the macro scale. Feed and speed characteristics are all different when using tiny tools, as are the characteristics of coolants. In addition, work holding is a major challenge for micro components, and metrology is extremely tricky.

This is why the selection of a micro machining partner is so vital. In many instances, micro machining represents the fastest and most cost-efficient way of producing actual physical parts, but this is only the case if the design is sensitive to the contingencies of the process, and there is an inherent understanding of the applicability of various materials to micro machining.

While the opportunities that exist for OEMs that fully embrace the possibilities made available through micro machining are immense, it takes the use of the right equipment and an in-depth knowledge of the ins and outs of the process to achieve commercial success. MES is expert in the most appropriate micro manufacturing and assembly techniques for your project. In all successful projects, MES is engaged early and is a strategic partner in a client’s micro manufacturing and assembly endeavors. MES has an in-depth understanding of the scaling problems that are characteristic of micron-sized components or components with micron sized features.