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May/Jun 2013  

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Micromachines/ Micromachining

Top Features

Army targets flexible electronics, displays

Dr. Eric W. Forsythe, staff physicist for the Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, Md., agreed to discuss the development of flexible electronics and flexible displays with MICROmanufacturing. Forsythe is the team leader for display technologies and is an associate program manager for the Army’s Flexible Display Center. One of the Army’s goals is to develop electronics for use in advanced communications devices with flexible displays. One of the main challenges is to increase the performance levels of flexible electronics to more closely match those of traditional printed circuit boards.

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Micromanufacturing: a technology of surprises

Micromanufacturing continues to amaze me. As the event manager for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers MicroManufacturing Conference, I have worked with professionals in this field for more than 10 years. Yet each year I am surprised by the latest applications of micro technologies.

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Machining tiny ’trodes can be a big challenge

Figuring out micro-sinker-EDMing is no easy task. As electrodes shrink, challenges grow, including maintaining the proper spark gap, minimizing electrode wear and determining the correct power settings. Plus, experienced EDMers know that using graphite electrodes can turn your hands black.

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Hot Off the Press: 3-D printers making more products—and news

Turn on the TV, pick up a consumer magazine or visit a popular Web news portal these days and you just might get an update on 3-D printing—the hottest topic in manufacturing.

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A fine solution for thin metal parts

Photochemical machining is a manufacturing process for producing intricately detailed, thin metal parts. Rooted in photoengraving, it was first used in the early 1940s to produce the fine features of gun-sight reticles.

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Cutting Infinity: Ultraprecision machining delivers unprecedented accuracy

When I was a kid, I wore glasses that looked like Coke bottles and cost more than a Schwinn 10-speed. Thanks to ultraprecision machining, I now wear disposable contact lenses and spend less to replace them than I would for a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

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Top Videos

New meaning for roach control

Cyborg CockroachIf only exterminators could control cockroaches with the same precision demonstrated by North Carolina State University researchers who steer a Madagascar Hissing cockroach along an S-shaped line in the video below.

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Metrigraphics milestone

Metrigraphics tour thumbnailThough Metrigraphics LLC recently notched its 50th year in business, the Boston area company isn't dwelling on the past. In fact, in this video report company executives are looking to the future, seeking ISO 13485 certification in anticipation of new market demands and potential expansion.

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Micro grind

Paul Ehrlich, senior applications engineer with United Grinding Technologies, demonstrates the flexibility of the Helitronic Micro CNC grinder by producing an ⅛" boring bar at the company's IMTS 2012 booth. The Helitronic Micro features linear/direct drives in all axes with acceleration and speed up to 2,000 IMP.

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Datron 5-axis milling machine targets small parts

Datron Dynamics developed the Datron C5 5-axis milling machine specifically for precise, simultaneous 5-axis milling of small parts. The C5, which is designed to machine titanium, steel, non-ferrous metals and abrasive materials, accommodates parts up to 100mm in diameter.

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Radio spindle probing from Blum

Yesenia Salcedo, senior editor with Cutting Tool Engineering and MICROmanufacturing magazines, interviews Blum LMT Inc. President Jon C. Kulikowski about the company's origins and its new radio spindle probing technology.

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Top Products

Swiss-style turning machine

INDEX Corp.

Traub TNL 18The TRAUB TNL18 sliding- and fixed-headstock automatic lathe from INDEX Corp. has seven linear axes and an additional B-axis on the eight-position upper tool turret. With the additional B-axis, which can pivot 100°, complex parts and complicated contour elements that require additional operations, such as milling, drilling and threading, can be machined at any angular position.

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Laser waterjet nozzle

Synova USA

Synova waterjet nozzleSynova USA’s Laser Micro Jet technology is for 5-axis micromachining photovoltaic cells and CBN, PCD and ceramic tooling, as well as specialty applications. The advantages of the technology are low consumable costs, low thermal loading of the parts, no part chipping and cracking, no heataffected zone, fast cutting rates when machining brittle and hard materials and fine surface finishes, according to the company.

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Rapid prototyping

FineLine Prototyping Inc.

Fineline PrototypingFineLine Prototyping provides rapid prototyping services to the medical device industry. Specializing in high-accuracy, highresolution parts, the company operates 18 Viper HR stereolithography machines and offers high-resolution metal prototypes, microresolution parts, selective laser sintering and custom finishing.

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Hassay Savage offers new microdrill line

Hassay Savage Co.

The GMauvaisUSA MICRO Drill Line from the Hassay Savage Co., Turners Falls, Mass., is now available in sizes from 0.1mm to 3mm with a complete program in both HSS-E 8 percent cobalt and 10 percent micro grain solid carbide.

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ESI high-precision micromanufacturing systems

ESI

esi 5390 thumbESI's newest microfabrication platforms use specialized lasers capable of rapidly drilling and routing in most metals, organics, dielectrics, semiconductors and hybrid-engineered materials.

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