Hot embossing, injection molding

In this article, we have addressed the factors associated with scaling up the manufacture of microfluidic devices through hot micro embossing, injection molding, PDMS casting, and UV embossing. The factors considered are cost, material selection, tooling, temperature and pressure requirements, finished feature sizes, feature aspect ratio, and rates in the manufacture of microfluidic devices. 

RIM and TIM is that in the case of RIM the components are mixed shortly before injection into the mold and are cured by polymerization in the mold. On the other hand, in the TIM method a uniform molding compound is heated above its glass transition temperature to produce a material that can be injected into the mold where it resolidifies as the temperature decreases. We wish to stress that the hot embossing technique for thermoplastics is particularly suitable... 

Hot embossing is characterized by low investment for the embossing die or stamp and high efficiency. The layout is applied following injection molding. Because no wet chemistry is needed, hot-embossed MIDs are well suited for decorative surfaces. 

FIGURE 52.4 Comparison of hot embossing (top pathway) and injection molding (bottom pathway)... 

Microchannels can be fabricated using a number of standard approaches such as soft lithography, injection molding, hot embossing, or roll-to-roll process. The critical material feamre for... 

Recently, microfluidic systems and biochips made from low-cost polymeric materials such as poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), as opposed to traditional materials such as glass or silicon, have become more and more prevalent. The primary attractiveness of these materials is that they tend to involve simpler and significantly less expensive manufacturing techniques (e.g., casting, injection and replica molding, and hot embossing) however, they are also amenable to... 

Becker H, Beckert E, Gartner C (2010) Hybrid tooling technologies for injection molded and hot embossed polymeric microfluidic devices. Proc SPIE 7593 Microfluid BioMEMS Med Microsyst VIII 75930B l-5... 

Compression molding Injection molding Hot embossing Hot press molding Polymer casting Replica molding Thermoforming... 

Generally, micromolding encompasses three established polymer microfabrication technologies injection molding, hot embossing, and casting. 

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