Advances in Production Engineering & Management
Volume 8 | Number 2 | June 2013 | pp 78–87
http://dx.doi.org/10.14743/apem2013.2.155
Evaluation of the performance of micromoulding blocks using micromanufacturing technologies
Vasco, J.C.; Ferreira, I.S.; Pouzada, A.S.
ABSTRACT AND REFERENCES (PDF) |
FULL ARTICLE TEXT (PDF)
A B S T R A C T
The production of micromoulding blocks for the mass production of plastic
microparts is associated to the decision of the more adequate micromanufacturing
technology for the quickest time to moulding operation. The integration
of subtractive and additive micro manufacturing technologies and micromoulding
techniques made the development of plastics microcomponents in
several domains of activity possible at feasible costs. However, the lifetime
expectancy of their replication tools is directly dependent on the tool material
properties and the thermal and mechanical characteristics of moulding process.
Besides the tool manufacturing costs, post-treatments to achieve the enhancement
of tool properties as surface roughness or abrasion resistance must
also be considered, so that the mass production process results technically and
economically effective. Thus, a trade-off is required to establish the break-even
point between the overall tool cost and the tool lifetime. An analysis was made
on the design of plastics microparts considering their performance requirements
and implications on the tooling manufacturing route and expected production
life. It was considered the use of additive and subtractive technologies
for the microtooling manufacture using current industrial equipment. This
study enabled a possible approach using the Analytical Hierarchical Process
(AHP) towards the detailed analysis of the life cycle and production costs of
common routes in microinjection moulding. A study of this type requires the
continuous update of micromanufacturing technological developments in
order to score actual process features. This analytical hierarchization approach
enables decision makers to input market requirements and to obtain
suitable manufacturing solutions, considering the continuous technological
challenges and economical aspects.
A R T I C L E I N F O
Keywords • Microinjection, Micromanufacturing, Economical feasibility
Corresponding author • Vasco, J.C.
Published on-line • 29 June 2013
E X P O R T C I T A T I O N
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