Application of CAD/CAM and Micro End Mills with 20 to 120 μm Diameter for the Direct Machining of Microstructures in PMMA

Abstract:

The use of microfluidic devices brings some benefits such as low reagent consumption, shorter analysis time, portability and cost reduction. The potential of this technology has constantly grown over time and lead to the development of competitive manufacture processes. The production of such microfluidic devices is usually done by molding processes which allow mass production of polymer disposables with a low cost per unit. In a prototype phase these methods are, however, expensive. To overcome the multi-step fabrication the direct milling in polymer is an alternative. In this paper micro structures are directly milled in polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) with self-developed micro end mills and the proper CAD/CAM integration offering a fast response in manufacturing of complex structures even in the micrometer range The direct milling of structures in PMMA with micro tools-diameter 120 μm is a feasible method to produce a physical prototype. The chosen micro end mills and strategies represent a competitive process in a prototyping level by reducing time to market.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volume 907)
• Pages: 299-306
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.907.299
• Online since: April 2014
• Authors: Ingo Gustav Reichenbach*, Jan C. Aurich
• Keywords: Fast Prototyping, Lab-on-a-Chip, Micro End Mill, Micro-Fluidics

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