Development of novel technology for fabrication of three-dimensional micro-components

A three-plate mold was designed and fabricated. The mold is capable of facilitating evacuation of air in the cavity, thermal control, cavity pressure monitoring and dimensional variation. Experimental parameters were varied to observe the changes in the molding process by cavity pressure monitoring and part weight measurements. It was found that the mold temperature is the most significant parameter that affects the filling process in the cavity. Injection pressure and injection rate were of secondary importance. However, injection rate becomes more important as compared to injection pressure, when the dimension of the cavity is reduced. The injection time was found to be insignificant in the filling process and can be neglected. Comparison of molded parts using different polymers was studied. POM, LLDPE and PS were used in the filling of a 50um thick cavity. The filling of the cavity was found to be better when POM is used when compared to LLDPE and PS