Laser Machining by short and ultrashort pulses, state of the art and new opportunities in the age of the photons

An overview is given of the applications of short and ultrashort lasers in material processing. Shorter pulses reduce heat-affected damage of the material and opens new ways for nanometer accuracy. Even forty years after the development of the laser there is a lot of effort in developing new and better performing lasers. The driving force is higher accuracy at reasonable cost, which is realised by compact systems delivering short laser pulses of high beam quality. Another trend is the shift towards shorter wavelengths, which are better absorbed by the material and which allows smaller feature sizes to be produced. Examples of new products, which became possible by this technique, are given. The trends in miniaturization as predicted by Moore and Taniguchi are expected to continue over the next decade too thanks to short and ultrashort laser machining techniques. After the age of steam and the age of electricity we have entered the age of photons now

Micro-manufacturing : research, technology outcomes and development issues

Besides continuing effort in developing MEMS-based manufacturing techniques, latest effort in Micro-manufacturing is also in Non-MEMS-based manufacturing. Research and technological development (RTD) in this field is encouraged by the increased demand on micro-components as well as promised development in the scaling down of the traditional macro-manufacturing processes for micro-length-scale manufacturing. This paper highlights some EU funded research activities in micro/nano-manufacturing, and gives examples of the latest development in micro-manufacturing methods/techniques, process chains, hybrid-processes, manufacturing equipment and supporting technologies/device, etc., which is followed by a summary of the achievements of the EU MASMICRO project. Finally, concluding remarks are given, which raise several issues concerning further development in micro-manufacturing

Chapter 1 - Overview of Micro-Manufacturing

This chapter discusses manufacturing, as a general term referring to industry, is to make products that have been designed for certain application. Manufacturing has been influenced not only by the increased demands on producing routine products and creating new products but also by social, economic and even political changes. There are ever increasing demands on miniaturized/micro products/systems and components, e.g. MEMS (micro-electric-mechanical systems) and micro-systems, micro-reactors, fuel cells, micro-mechanical devices, and micro-medical components, which are now popularly used in vehicles, aircraft, telecommunication and IT facilities, home appliances, medical devices and implants. Micro-manufacturing concerns manufacturing methods, technologies, equipment, organizational strategies, and systems for the manufacture of products and/or features that have at least two dimensions that are within sub-millimeter ranges. Micro-manufacturing engineering is a general term which concerns a series of relevant activities within the chain of manufacturing micro-products/features, including design, analysis, materials, processes, tools, machinery, operational management methods, and systems

Biodegradable Metals for Cardiovascular Stent Application: Interests and New Opportunities

During the last decade, biodegradable metallic stents have been developed and investigated as alternatives for the currently-used permanent cardiovascular stents. Degradable metallic materials could potentially replace corrosion-resistant metals currently used for stent application as it has been shown that the role of stenting is temporary and limited to a period of 6–12 months after implantation during which arterial remodeling and healing occur. Although corrosion is generally considered as a failure in metallurgy, the corrodibility of certain metals can be an advantage for their application as degradable implants. The candidate materials for such application should have mechanical properties ideally close to those of 316L stainless steel which is the gold standard material for stent application in order to provide mechanical support to diseased arteries. Non-toxicity of the metal itself and its degradation products is another requirement as the material is absorbed by blood and cells. Based on the mentioned requirements, iron-based and magnesium-based alloys have been the investigated candidates for biodegradable stents. This article reviews the recent developments in the design and evaluation of metallic materials for biodegradable stents. It also introduces the new metallurgical processes which could be applied for the production of metallic biodegradable stents and their effect on the properties of the produced metals

Dimensional Micro and Nano Metrology

The need for dimensional micro and nano metrology is evident, and as critical dimensions are scaled down and geometrical complexity of objects is increased, the available technologies appear not sufficient. Major research and development efforts have to be undertaken in order to answer these challenges. The developments have to include new measuring principles and instrumentation, tolerancing rules and procedures as well as traceability and calibration. The current paper describes issues and challenges in dimensional micro and nano metrology by reviewing typical measurement tasks and available instrumentation. Traceability and calibration issues are discussed subsequently. Finally needs and gaps are identified based on these observations