Originally Published MPMN September 2006

SPOTLIGHT

Machining

CNC machining centers

Ultraprecision CNC machining centers produce high-precision molds made of hardened steel. The molds are used to make microtiter plates by injection molding. The machines have repetition of ±1 µm, and a guaranteed surface finish Ra of 0.2 µm.
Kern Micro und Feinwerktechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Murnau, Germany
www.kern-microtechnic.com

Excimer UV laser system

A Class 1, fully enclosed system is in an excimer laser configuration. The IX-200 ChromAblate unit has a 238-nm wavelength that is suitable for micromachining of polymers, ceramics, and polyimides. An optional 193-nm beam-delivery package is also available, which is useful for materials that do not couple well with the longer UV wavelength, and other more optically transparent materials. The machine is also available in a solid-state laser configuration for direct-write applications.
JPSA, Hollis, NH
www.jpsalaser.com

Vertical machining center

A vertical machining center incorporates a swivel head spindle for single setup machining of complex parts. The FZ08.2KS has a swiveling range of –20º to 115º. It takes 1¼2 second to swivel from 0º to 90º. Typical applications include orthopedic devices and surgical instruments made of special plastics, titanium, and steel. With the NC swivel head, users can produce milled surfaces and holes at every angular position, including outer and inner contours, and tapping. The machine features a high-speed tool changer, which takes 0.8 seconds from tool to tool, a chip-to-chip time of 1.9 seconds, rapid feed rate of up to 3000 items per minute, acceleration rates up to 2 G, and spindle speeds up to 40,000 rpm.
Chiron America Inc., Charlotte, NC
www.chironamerica.com

Laser machining system

A dedicated motion subsystem is targeted directly at cylindrical laser processing applications. The LaserTurn has an integrated linear-rotary platform combined with a flexible three-jaw gripper or ER collet assembly. The integral linear-rotary design has much greater stiffness and a higher natural frequency when compared with component-based systems, according to the company. A standard front-tooling platform eases the integration of custom fixtures for material handling, while an optional rear-tooling platform can be used for the attachment of automated bar-feeding mechanisms or other product support requirements.
Aerotech Inc., Pittsburgh, PA
www.aerotech.com

Laser micromachining services

A direct laser ablation process is used to create lenslets that are approximately 10 times smaller than the lens in a common housefly. The laser-created lenslets measure about 3 µm in diameter. The company can also drill 50-µm diam holes in silicon wafers at a speed greater than 400 holes per second. Scribing and patterning thin films and micromachining 3-D features are performed in many materials.
Exitech Inc., Sunrise, FL
www.exitechinc.com

Vertical machining center

An exceptionally rigid vertical machining center is suitable for machining tibial bearings, valve bodies and assemblies, probes, tubular and solid needles, knobs, sleeves, implants, and EMI shields from materials such as titanium, stainless steel, hardened tool steels, or engineered plastics. The RoboDrill E includes a Fanuc 3li-A5 nano CNC that provides control resolution of 1 nm, an optional 1000 block look-ahead, and a 0.4 millisecond block processing speed for good surface finishes.
Methods Machine Tools Inc., Sudbury, MA
www.methodsmachine.com

EDM

Automatic micro EDM almost eliminates the cost of microelectrodes, according to a company. Besides having a super-heavy-duty industrial construction, the MX-6V incorporates a micro mill and grinder. This gives the machine the ability to manufacture its microelectrodes on the fly. A specially equipped system can produce electrodes as small as 10 µm in diameter, and parts with 5-µm dimensions.
Pacific Controls Inc., Van Nuys, CA
www.pacificcontrols.com

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