NANOMICRO

NANO/MICRO INTEGRATION IN MICROMANUFACTURING

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The new high productive platform for 3D main objective of NANOMICRO project is to provide the manufacturing industry with an entirely nanomicromanufacturing platform, by way of a new micron scale resolution and an innovative direct parallel-deposition process. The process will be able to deliver a layer wise manufacturing approach using highly focalized powder/heat fluxes, with dimensions in the micron range. This will allow to control spatial resolution within the same limit and building up parts with such extreme control of the (fully dense) bulk materials. The S/T objectives of the project will provide: -several submicron powder grades as aggregates of nanocrystals; -implementation of highly localized powder fluxes to drive high accuracy object fabrication, on the scale of better than 5 µm; -online monitoring allowing combinations of accuracy and productivity to be achieved at which the technology will become a new production tool, for 3D metal parts integrating nanostructures; -High-precision and High-production (HP2) micro-manufacturing deposition strategies; -multimaterial (gradient) deposition using different powder types on the same layer; -integrated materials and component ecodesign; -nano(micro)manufacturing principles by allowing integration of nanoscale structures first at powder level (micron agglomerates) and then at 3D part level (mm); -HP2 microfabrication station capable of enhanced accuracy and faster micro-objects deposition (typically 1x1 mm/each) by using single laser sintering head or microwave parallelized multi- sintering heads; -Make the developed machine available for exploitation primarily within the EU manufacturing industry. NANOMICRO project fully responds to the call topic extending the microfabrication process capabilities by encompassing a wider range of innovative materials and geometric shapes, satisfying functional and technical requirements, allowing the emerging of new microproducts in many technological fields.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Technology in most fields today demands increasingly smaller devices with improved performance. Thanks to an innovative new nano-micromanufacturing system with high speed and accuracy, the EU is in a stronger position to deliver the goods.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Micromanufacturing at the nano scale leads to the production of improved materials and new products. The field is booming and for European manufacturing to remain competitive, an improved process for delivering 3D microproducts using nano-structured materials is required.

'Nano/micro integration in micromanufacturing' (http://www.nanomicro-project.eu/ (NANOMICRO)) was an EU-funded project that has provided industry with an entirely new manufacturing platform combining precision and speed. A novel production method with highly focused powder and heat fluxes yields accuracy in the micron range, surpassing current technologies whose resolution is on the order of 50 micrometres.

An innovative multi-material (gradient) deposition process that can exploit either single hollow laser head sintering or multiple microwave sintering heads in parallel increases throughput. Online monitoring ensures a layer-wise manufacturing approach to produce 3D components with excellent control of both accuracy and speed.

After the end of the project, further work will concentrate in process optimisation. As a result, with the new NANOMICRO high-precision, high-production manufacturing machine, scientists have extended the range of materials and geometries that can be used. The machine is cost effective and completely automated to deliver reliability of process control and high-quality products.

By improving both the quality and type of microproducts that can be manufactured, NANOMICRO technology is expected to expand existing markets and open the door to new ones. This will have major impact on enhancing the competitiveness of the EU in a large and growing global market.