Precision injection moulding of miniaturised products with microfeatures, such as channels for microfluidic applications, poses the greatest challenges in terms of tooling technology and process optimisation. The injection moulding process window of polypropylene was validated using a metrological approach for the production of a microfluidic substrate. The dimensional accuracy of microchannels that are 48 μm wide and 110 μm deep and the quality surface topography replication (surface roughness from 30 to 360 nm) were investigated using non-contact measuring instruments, such as an optical coordinate measuring machine and a white light interferometer respectively. The effect of the dimensional scale range on the micro-/nanofeature replication was evaluated, and it was found to be the dominant parameter if compared with the effect of the other process related parameters investigated (melt and mould temperatures and injection speed).
HansenHN, CarneiroK, HaitjemaH, de ChiffreL: ‘Dimensional micro and nano metrology’, Ann. CIRP, 2006, 55, (2), 721–743.
3.
BlattertC, JurischkaR, TanhamI, SchothA, KerthaP, MenzW: ‘Microfluidic blood/plasma separation unit based on microchannel bend structures’, Proc. 3rd Annual Int. IEEE EMBS Topical Special Conf. on ‘Microtechnologies in medicine and biology’, Kahuku, HI, USA, May 2005, IEEE, 38–41.
4.
ToselloG, FillonB, AzcarateS, SchothA, MattssonL, GriffithsC, StaemmlerL, BoltPJ: ‘Application of different process chains for polymer microfluidics fabrication including hybrid tooling technologies, standardization and replication: a benchmark investigation within 4M polymer division’, Proc. 3rd Int. Conf. on ‘Multi-material micro manufacture (4M)’, Borovets, Bulgaria, October 2007, Dunbeath, Whittles Publishing, 77–80.
5.
AzcarateS, UriarteL, SchothA, BigotS, ToselloG, RothS, StaemmlerL: ‘Hybrid tooling: a review of process chains for tooling microfabrication within 4M’, Proc. 2nd Int. Conf. on ‘Multi-material micro manufacture (4M)’, Grenoble, France, September 2006, Oxford, Elsevier, 305–308.
6.
TangPT, FuglJ, UriarteL, BissaccoG, HansenHN: ‘Indirect tooling based on micromilling, electroforming and selective etching’, Proc. 2nd Int. Conf. on ‘Multi-material micro manufacture (4M)’, Grenoble, France, September 2006, Oxford, Elsevier, 183–186.
7.
ToselloG, BissaccoG, TangPT, HansenHN, NielsenPC: ‘Micro tools manufacturing for polymer replication with high aspect ratio structures using μEDM of silicon, selective etching and electroforming’, Microsyst. Technol., 2008, 14, 1757–1764.
8.
ToselloG: ‘Precision moulding of polymer micro components’, PhD thesis, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark, 2008.
9.
‘Uncertainty of measurement – Part 3: guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement (GUM:1995)’, ISO/IEC Guide 98-3:2008, ISO, Geneva, Switzerland, 2008.
10.
ToselloG, HansenHN, GasparinS: ‘Applications of dimensional micro metrology to the product and process quality control in manufacturing of precision polymer micro components’, Ann. CIRP, 2009, 59, (1), 467–472.
11.
ToselloG, GavaA, HansenHN, LucchettaG, GuariseM: ‘Measuring uncertainty applied to design of experiment analysis: a micro injection moulding case study’, Proc. Joint ENBIS-DEINDE 2007 Conf. on ‘Computer experiments versus physical experiments’, Turin, Italy, April 2007, 202–213.
12.
ToselloG, GavaA, HansenHN, LucchettaG, MarinelloF: ‘Characterization and analysis of weld lines on micro injection moulded parts using atomic force microscopy (AFM)’, Wear, 2009, 266, (5–6), 534–538.
GaoF, LeachRK, PetzingJ, CouplandJM: ‘Surface measurement errors using commercial scanning white light interferometers’, Meas. Sci. Technol., 2008, 19, (1), 015303.
16.
MarinelloF, BarianiP, PasquiniA, de ChiffreL, BossardM, PicottoGB: ‘Increase of maximum detectable slope with optical profilers, through controlled tilting and image processing’, Meas. Sci. Technol., 2007, 18, (2), 384–389.
17.
HerlihyG: ‘X-Melt: precision technology for micromoulding and thin wall parts’, Plast. Rubber Compos., 2008, 37, (2), 67–73.
18.
ShenYK: ‘Comparison of height replication properties of micro-injection moulding and micro-injection-compression moulding for production of microstructures on lightguiding plates’, Plast. Rubber Compos., 2007, 36, (2), 77–84.
