Automated and Continuous Production of Microstructured Metallic Plates via Cold Embossing

Many critical issues need to be addressed when microstructured reactors are manufactured in large unit volumes. The most crucial of these are cost, ease of production, and reliability. The lack of breakthrough manufacturing technology to provide high‐efficiency, low‐cost, high‐precision plates is a hindrance to the early market implementation of systems requiring metallic microstructured plates. This contribution focuses on the development and optimization of a combined embossing and bending tool for the quick and continuous manufacture of easily machined plates.     

我国模压全息技术发展现况述评

模压全息技术作为一种高科技已在近年来得到迅速的发展并趋于成熟,模压全息能以较低的成本和较高的速度进行大批量的工业化生产。本文对我国模压全息技术发展现况进行了述评。     

端盖板高速连续级进模设计

根据制件的形状和生产要求，对RF-300C系列微电机端盖板的结构及工艺性进行了分析。介绍了一副轴承室深度和内径可调的端盖板高速连续级进模的排样设计和模具结构，分析了它的结构以及主要零部件的设计特点；叙述了压凸包、整形、打麻点、落料复位等模具结构在高速连续级进模中的设计方法。实践证明该模具结构可靠，运行状态稳定，制件质量符合技术要求。     

Investigation on replication of microfluidic channels by hot embossing

In this study, effects of embossing temperature, time, and force on production of a microfluidic device were investigated. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) substrates were hot embossed by using a micromilled aluminum mold. The process parameters were altered to observe the variation of replication rate in width and depth as well as symmetry of the replicated microfluidic channels. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) on the experimental results indicated that embossing temperature was the most important process parameter, whereas embossing time and force have less impact. One distinguishing aspect of this study is that, the channels were observed to be skewed to either side of the channel depending on the location of the protrusions on the mold. The mechanism of the skewness was investigated by finite element analysis and discussed in detail. Results showed that the skewness depends on the flow characteristics of the material and could be reduced by increasing the embossing temperature. The best replication rates were obtained at parameter settings of 115°C, 10?kN, and 8?min for the molds with minimum 56?µm wide features of 120?µm depth. We also showed that the fabricated channels could be successfully sealed by solvent-assisted thermo-compressive bonding at 85°C under 5.5?kN force.     

Simple and cost-effective fabrication of two-dimensional plastic nanochannels from silica nanowire templates

Nanofluidic systems are attracting a great deal of interest due to their fundamental significance and potential applications in chemistry, biology and physics. However, high fabrication cost, expensive equipments and complicated fabrication process of most current fabrication techniques prevent lots of researchers from entering the nanofluidic field. Here we present a quick, simple and cost-effective method for fabricating two-dimensional (2D) nanochannel in polycarbonate (PC) substrates. Silica nanowires, taper-drawn from commercially available single-mode fiber were used as templates and embedded in the PC substrate by hot embossing. The nanochannels were created after removing the nanowires by hydrofluoric acid (HF) etching. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) was used to seal the nanochannel reversibly. Nanochannels with widths range from 100 to 900 nm and lengths up to several millimeters were obtained. Various nanostructures including integrated micro and nanochannels, nanochannel array, bent nanochannel and cross-shaped nanochannel were fabricated and characterized by fluorescent microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM).     

UV nanoimprint using flexible polymer template and substrate

Nano to micro-sized patterns were formed on a flexible polymer substrate using a flexible UV imprint stamp. A 6 in. diameter flexible UV nanoimprint template was fabricated using PVC hot embossing and DLC coating. Using the UV nanoimprint process with the DLC coated PVC template, nano to micro-sized patterns were clearly formed on the flexible PET substrate without a residual layer, due to the antistiction properties and high mechanical hardness of the DLC coating. By depositing a Cr layer on the imprinted resist pattern and lifting it off, Cr metal patterns were fabricated on the PET substrate.     

A self-pumping and self-breathing micro direct methanol fuel cell with polymer bipolar plates

A passive micro direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) for reducing volume and parasitic power is designed and fabricated using several integrated technologies. New bipolar plates with tapered channels at the anode and a pillar array at the cathode are first applied to a passive micro-DMFC. The substrate of the bipolar plates made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is hot embossed with two molds, fabricated by UV-LIGA and micro machining. To make the bipolar plates conductive and hydrophilic, a nickel layer is electroplated on the ABS plates, and three PDDA/PSS bi-layers are self-assembled onto the nickel layer. The bipolar plates are produced using hot embossing, a low cost, highly accurate batch process. A single cell is assembled to verify the self-pumping function, and it can generate a peak power density of 7.4 mW cm⁻² with a 3 M methanol solution. The fuel cell is verified to work in three different orientations. When the fuel cell is placed horizontally, the self-pumping rate is about 0.1-0.15 mL h⁻¹. And the fuel cell can work through self-pumping for 5 h under this condition.     

自动化冲压线铝板料拆垛分张不良优化方法

自动化冲压线生产过程中,因铝板料没有磁性,板料在线首拆垛时存在分张不良现象,经现场调查研究,制定了控制板料残油、板料压窝、增加辅助分层装置等措施,解决了铝板料分张不良的问题。经生产验证,提出的方法有效,工艺合理,满足冲压线大批量生产的需求。     

光电印制电路板的发展评述（3）——聚合物光波导层的成型工艺（1）

文章简述了光电印制电路板中聚合物光波导层的制作应该遵循的原则,介绍了光波导层的主要成型工艺,包括反应离子蚀刻、平版影印、激光烧蚀和加热模压等方法。     

Hot embossing of diffractive optically variable images in biaxially-oriented polypropylene

The hot embossing of grating-based optically variable devices has been demonstrated in biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP). Embossing of the grating structures was examined over a range of temperatures (80-155 °C) at 135 kN force. However, only at temperatures above the glass transition temperature, T_g, was high quality replication achieved over a full embossing area of 80 × 80 mm. The embossing of several different types of optically variable device has been examined including portrait, non-portrait and 3-dimensional images. The images embossed into BOPP have displayed an optically variable effect when viewed in transmitted light.