Materials, Advanced Design
&
Manufacturing
91
2.3
Microsystems fabrication
Keywords
Microscale components/devices, micro-reactors,
micro-hierarchical structures, high-speed machining
Expertise
Microscale control and measurement devices manage
the performance of vehicles, machinery and plant; they
also control goods such as washing machines and
DVD players.
The University of Liverpool has an international reputation
for its work on microsystem component technologies.
We have developed micromachining and fabrication
processes which will have a global impact on business
for many years to come.
The extension of high speed machining to micro-
machining, using 0.2mm diameter micro-cutters,
has opened up new opportunities for 3D micro-
components, for instance. We also have expertise
in the application of selective laser sintering (SLS) for
the freeform fabrication of micro-reactors and
micro-hierarchical structures.
Liverpool has harnessed these processes to
develop microscale devices covering a spectrum of
applications – from biological and chemical analysis
through to thermal management. These include
nano-scaled functional materials, sensors, actuators,
medical devices and implants – and the smallest
quadrupole mass spectrometer ever reported, which is
currently being developed as a state-of-the-art medical
diagnostic tool.
Capabilities and facilities
•
Selective laser sintering
•
Digital light processing
•
Freeform fabrication techniques.
2.2
Freeform fabrication
Keywords
Additive layer manufacturing, selective laser melting,
spiral growth manufacture, selective laser sintering
Expertise
Freeform fabrication takes virtual designs from CAD,
transforms them into thin, virtual, horizontal cross-sections
and then creates successive layers until the model is
complete. It is a WYSIWYG process where the virtual
model and the physical model are almost identical.
This fabrication approach makes it possible to create
complex geometries; freeform fabrication produces little
waste and is relatively energy-efficient. Since no special
tooling is required 3D parts can be built in days or
hours, enabling products to be brought to market faster
than traditional processes like forging and casting.
The University has extensive experience of selective
laser sintering (SLS) which fuses small particles of
metal, ceramic, glass or plastic to create a 3D object.
Increasingly, SLS is being exploited in short-run
manufacturing to produce components for end-use.
Selective laser melting (SLM) is a solid freeform
fabrication process that can be used to manufacture
complex lattice structures which would not be
achievable using conventional manufacturing techniques.
We also have expertise in spiral growth manufacturing
(
SGM). This technique sidesteps the conventional
stop-start, phase-change approach of conventional
rapid manufacturing systems, offering a system which
can work continuously. This method has huge potential
in the healthcare sector.
Capabilities and facilities
•
Additive layer manufacturing
•
Selective laser melting
•
Selective laser sintering
•
Spiral growth manufacturing
•
Digital light processing
•
Expertise in producing and working
with thin film materials.
