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Micromachines
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Emerging Micro Manufacturing Technologies and Applications, 2nd Edition
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Emerging Micro Manufacturing Technologies and Applications, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "E：Engineering and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2024) | Viewed by 9690

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Nikolaos Tapoglou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, School of Engineering, International Hellenic University, Sindos Campus, 57400 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: manufacturing and processing; manufacturing simulation; cloud manufacturing; machine tools; gear manufacturing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the field of micro machining has gained a lot of traction owing to the drive towards lightweighting, electrification, and sustainability. Industrial sectors that have shown increasing interest in micromachining include the medical, space, aerospace, and consumer electronics fields.

Research in academia has focused on the experimental investigation of micro machining processes such as micro milling, micro turning, and micro grinding. In addition, numerical and finite element models have been developed to predict the performance of micro-machined parts. Over the last few years, a series of manufacturing processes have emerged in the macro manufacturing sector that have shown great potential in the improvement of said processes; however, their use in the micro scale has not been thoroughly modeled and understood.

Therefore, we invite contributions to showcase recent advances in novel and emerging manufacturing technologies and applications on the micro scale. Papers in all areas of micromachining technologies will be considered, including, but not limited to, micro cutting, micro milling, micro grinding, polishing, laser micromachining, simulation and modeling in the micro scale, and hybrid micromachining. Original research papers and review articles are all welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions to this Special Issue.

Dr. Nikolaos Tapoglou
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • machining
  • micro machining
  • emerging technologies
  • simulation
  • 3D printing
  • micro cutting
  • micro gears

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 8680 KiB  
Article
Jet Electroforming of High-Aspect-Ratio Microcomponents by Periodically Lifting a Necked-Entrance Through-Mask
by Yasai Zhang, Pingmei Ming, Xinmin Zhang, Xinchao Li, Lunxu Li and Zheng Yang
Micromachines 2024, 15(6), 753; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15060753 - 3 Jun 2024
Viewed by 651
Abstract
High-aspect-ratio micro- and mesoscale metallic components (HAR-MMMCs) can play some unique roles in quite a few application fields, but their cost-efficient fabrication is significantly difficult to accomplish. To address this issue, this study proposes a necked-entrance through-mask (NTM) periodically lifting electroforming technology with [...] Read more.
High-aspect-ratio micro- and mesoscale metallic components (HAR-MMMCs) can play some unique roles in quite a few application fields, but their cost-efficient fabrication is significantly difficult to accomplish. To address this issue, this study proposes a necked-entrance through-mask (NTM) periodically lifting electroforming technology with an impinging jet electrolyte supply. The effects of the size of the necked entrance of the through-mask and the jet speed of the electrolyte on electrodeposition behaviors, including the thickness distribution of the growing top surface, deposition defect formation, geometrical accuracy, and electrodeposition rate, are investigated numerically and experimentally. Ensuring an appropriate size of the necked entrance can effectively improve the uniformity of deposition thickness, while higher electrolyte flow velocities help enhance the density of the components under higher current densities, reducing the formation of deposition defects. It was shown that several precision HAR-MMMCs with an AR of 3.65 and a surface roughness (Ra) of down to 36 nm can be achieved simultaneously with a relatively high deposition rate of 3.6 μm/min and thickness variation as low as 1.4%. Due to the high current density and excellent mass transfer effects in the electroforming conditions, the successful electroforming of components with a Vickers microhardness of up to 520.5 HV was achieved. Mesoscale precision columns with circular and Y-shaped cross-sections were fabricated by using this modified through-mask movable electroforming process. The proposed NTM periodic lifting electroforming method is promisingly advantageous in fabricating precision HAR-MMMCs cost-efficiently. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Micro Manufacturing Technologies and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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13 pages, 12422 KiB  
Article
Fabricating Precise and Smooth Microgroove Structures on Zr-Based Metallic Glass Using Jet-ECM
by Dongdong Li, Pingmei Ming, Shen Niu, Guangbin Yang and Kuaile Cheng
Micromachines 2024, 15(4), 497; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15040497 - 4 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 907
Abstract
Zr-based metallic glasses (MGs) are promising materials for mold manufacturing due to their unique mechanical and chemical properties. However, the high hardness of metallic glasses and their tendency to crystallize at high temperatures make it challenging to fabricate precise and smooth microscale structures [...] Read more.
Zr-based metallic glasses (MGs) are promising materials for mold manufacturing due to their unique mechanical and chemical properties. However, the high hardness of metallic glasses and their tendency to crystallize at high temperatures make it challenging to fabricate precise and smooth microscale structures on metallic glasses. This limitation hampers the development of metallic glasses as molds. Jet electrochemical machining (jet-ECM) is a non-contact subtractive manufacturing technology that utilizes a high-speed electrolyte to partially remove material from workpieces, making it highly suitable for processing difficult-to-machine materials. Nevertheless, few studies have explored microgroove structures on Zr-based MGs using sodium nitrate electrolytes by jet-ECM. Therefore, this paper advocates the utilization of the jet-ECM technique to fabricate precise and smooth microgroove structures using a sodium nitrate electrolyte. The electrochemical characteristics were studied in sodium nitrate solution. Then, the effects of the applied voltages and nozzle travel rates on machining performance were investigated. Finally, micro-helical and micro-S structures with high geometric dimensional consistency and low surface roughness were successfully fabricated, with widths and depths measuring 433.7 ± 2.4 µm and 101.4 ± 1.6 µm, respectively. Their surface roughness was determined to be 0.118 ± 0.002 µm. Compared to non-aqueous-based methods for jet-ECM of Zr-based MGs, the depth of the microgrooves was increased from 20 μm to 101 μm. Furthermore, the processed microstructures had no uneven edges in the peripheral areas and no visible flow marks on the bottom. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Micro Manufacturing Technologies and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 6736 KiB  
Article
Fabricating Ultra-Narrow Precision Slit Structures with Periodically Reducing Current Over-Growth Electroforming
by Xiaohong Yang, Xinmin Zhang, Pingmei Ming, Yuntao Li, Wei Wang, Yunyan Zhang, Zongbin Li, Lunxu Li, Youping Xiao, Xiaoyi Guo and Zheng Yang
Micromachines 2024, 15(1), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15010076 - 29 Dec 2023
Viewed by 989
Abstract
An ultra-narrow precision slit with a width of less than ten micrometers is the key structure of some optical components, but the fabrication of these structures is still very difficult to accomplish. To fabricate these slits, this paper proposed a periodically reducing current [...] Read more.
An ultra-narrow precision slit with a width of less than ten micrometers is the key structure of some optical components, but the fabrication of these structures is still very difficult to accomplish. To fabricate these slits, this paper proposed a periodically reducing current over-growth electroforming process. In the periodically reducing current over-growth electroforming, the electric current applied to the electrodeposition process is periodically stepped down rather than being constant. Simulations and experimentation studies were carried out to verify the feasibility of the proposed process, and further optimization of process parameters was implemented experimentally to achieve the desired ultra-narrow precision slits. The current values were: I1=Iinitial, I2=0.75Iinitial at Qc=0.5Qt, I3=0.5Iinitial at Qc=0.75Qt,respectively. It was shown that, compared with conventional constant current over-growth electroforming, the proposed process can significantly improve the surface quality and geometrical accuracy of the fabricated slits and can markedly enhance the achievement of the formed ultra-narrow slits. With the proposed process, slits with a width of down to 5 ± 0.1 μm and a surface roughness of less than 62.8 nm can be easily achieved. This can improve the determination sensitivity and linear range of the calibration curves of spectral imagers and food and chemical analysis instruments. Periodically reducing current over-growth electroforming is effective and advantageous in fabricating ultra-narrow precision slits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Micro Manufacturing Technologies and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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13 pages, 5862 KiB  
Article
Processing and Properties of Single-Crystal Copper Wire
by Jun Cao, Xuefeng Wu, Chenghao Su, Hewei Jia and Yongzhen Sun
Micromachines 2023, 14(11), 2080; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14112080 - 10 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1605
Abstract
The effects of drawing parameters and annealing process on the properties and microstructure of single crystal copper wire are studied using a wire-drawing machine, heat-treatment equipment, microcomputer-controlled electronic universal tester, resistance tester, and scanning electron microscope. The results show that, after drawing the [...] Read more.
The effects of drawing parameters and annealing process on the properties and microstructure of single crystal copper wire are studied using a wire-drawing machine, heat-treatment equipment, microcomputer-controlled electronic universal tester, resistance tester, and scanning electron microscope. The results show that, after drawing the single-crystal copper wire with a single-pass deformation of 14%, the grains elongate along the tensile direction, tensile strength increases from 500.83 MPa to 615.5 Mpa, and resistivity changes from 1.745 × 10−8 Ω·m to 1.732 × 10−8 Ω·m. After drawing at a drawing rate of 500 m/min, the degree of grain refinement increases and tensile strength increases from 615.5 Mpa to 660.26 Mpa. When a copper wire of Φ0.08 mm is annealed, its tensile strength decreases from 660.26 Mpa to 224.7 Mpa, and elongation increases from 1.494% to 19.87% when the annealing temperature increases to 400 °C. When the annealing temperature increases to 550 °C, the tensile strength and elongation decrease to 214.4 MPa and 12.18%, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Micro Manufacturing Technologies and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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10 pages, 13379 KiB  
Article
An Ultraviolet-Lithography-Assisted Sintering Method for Glass Microlens Array Fabrication
by Fangyuan Zuo, Shenghua Ma, Wei Zhao, Chenqian Yang, Ziyu Li, Chen Zhang and Jintao Bai
Micromachines 2023, 14(11), 2055; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14112055 - 2 Nov 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1233
Abstract
Glass microlens arrays (MLAs) have tremendous prospects in the fields of optical communication, sensing and high-sensitivity imaging for their excellent optical properties, high mechanical robustness and physicochemical stability. So far, glass MLAs are primarily fabricated using femtosecond laser modification assisted etching, in which [...] Read more.
Glass microlens arrays (MLAs) have tremendous prospects in the fields of optical communication, sensing and high-sensitivity imaging for their excellent optical properties, high mechanical robustness and physicochemical stability. So far, glass MLAs are primarily fabricated using femtosecond laser modification assisted etching, in which the preparation procedure is time-consuming, with each concave-shaped microlens being processed using a femtosecond laser point by point. In this paper, a new method is proposed for implementing large-scale glass MLAs using glass particle sintering with the assistance of ultraviolet (UV) lithography. The glass particles are dispersed into the photoresist at first, and then immobilized as large-scaled micropillar arrays on quartz glass substrate using UV lithographing. Subsequently, the solidified photoresist is debinded and the glass particles are melted by means of sintering. By controlling the sintering conditions, the convex microlens will be self-assembled, attributed to the surface tension of the molten glass particles. Finally, MLAs with different focal lengths (0.12 to 0.2 mm) are successfully fabricated by utilizing different lithography masks. Meanwhile, we also present the optimization of the sintering parameter for eliminating the bubbles in the microlenses. The main factors that affect the focal length of the microlens and the image performance of the MLAs have been studied in detail. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Micro Manufacturing Technologies and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 11260 KiB  
Article
Concurrently Fabricating Precision Meso- and Microscale Cross-Scale Arrayed Metal Features and Components by Using Wire-Anode Scanning Electroforming Technique
by Shicheng Li, Pingmei Ming, Junzhong Zhang, Yunyan Zhang and Liang Yan
Micromachines 2023, 14(5), 979; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14050979 - 29 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1649
Abstract
In order to improve the thickness uniformity of the electroformed metal layer and components, a new electroforming technique is proposed—wire-anode scanning electroforming (WAS-EF). WAS-EF uses an ultrafine inert anode so that the interelectrode voltage/current is superimposed upon a very narrow ribbon-shaped area at [...] Read more.
In order to improve the thickness uniformity of the electroformed metal layer and components, a new electroforming technique is proposed—wire-anode scanning electroforming (WAS-EF). WAS-EF uses an ultrafine inert anode so that the interelectrode voltage/current is superimposed upon a very narrow ribbon-shaped area at the cathode, thus ensuring better localization of the electric field. The anode of WAS-EF is in constant motion, which reduces the effect of the current edge effect. The stirring paddle of WAS-EF can affect the fluid flow in the microstructure, and improve the mass transfer effect inside the structure. The simulation results show that, when the depth-to-width ratio decreases from 1 to 0.23, the depth of fluid flow in the microstructure can increase from 30% to 100%. Experimental results show that. Compared with the traditional electroforming method, the single metal feature and arrayed metal components prepared by WAS-EF are respectively improved by 15.5% and 11.4%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Micro Manufacturing Technologies and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 8262 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Spherical Al2O3 Magnetic Abrasive Prepared by Novel Method for Finishing of the Inner Surface of Cobalt–Chromium Alloy Cardiovascular Stents Tube
by Guangxin Liu, Yugang Zhao, Zhihao Li, Hanlin Yu, Chen Cao, Jianbing Meng, Haiyun Zhang and Chuang Zhao
Micromachines 2023, 14(3), 621; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14030621 - 8 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1879
Abstract
In this investigation, spherical Al2O3 magnetic abrasive particles (MAPs) were used to polish the inner surface of ultra-fine long cobalt–chromium alloy cardiovascular stent tubes. The magnetic abrasives were prepared by combining plasma molten metal powder and hard abrasives, and the [...] Read more.
In this investigation, spherical Al2O3 magnetic abrasive particles (MAPs) were used to polish the inner surface of ultra-fine long cobalt–chromium alloy cardiovascular stent tubes. The magnetic abrasives were prepared by combining plasma molten metal powder and hard abrasives, and the magnetic abrasives prepared by this new method are characterized by high sphericity, narrow particle size distribution range, long life, and good economic value. Firstly, the spherical Al2O3 magnetic abrasives were prepared by the new method; secondly, the polishing machine for the inner surface of the ultra-fine long cardiovascular stent tubes was developed; finally, the influence laws of spindle speed, magnetic pole speed, MAP filling quantities, the magnetic pole gap on the surface roughness (Ra), and the removal thickness (RT) of tubes were investigated. The results showed that the prepared Al2O3 magnetic abrasives were spherical in shape, and their superficial layer was tightly bound with Al2O3 hard abrasives with sharp cutting; the use of spherical Al2O3 magnetic abrasives could achieve the polishing of the inner surface of ultra-fine cobalt–chromium alloy cardiovascular bracket tubes, and after processing, the inner surface roughness (Ra) of the tubes decreased from 0.337 µm to 0.09 µm and had an RT of 5.106 µm. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Micro Manufacturing Technologies and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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