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SIGNIFICANT NEW DEMAND FOR ELECTROFORMED PARTS
Micro-engineered electroformed metal parts are gaining rapid ground, where traditional machined components cannot compete. Across a vast range of applications in electronics design and manufacturing they offer new and unprecedented cost/performance ratios with unparalleled performance characteristics.
Ground-breaking manufacturing techniques have been developed by Dorset based Tecan, allowing designers to specify increasingly small and complex metal parts. Typical tolerances can be as fine as ±8 microns, in some cases tolerances of ±2 microns can be achieved. Single-thickness and three-dimensional parts can be produced readily.
“One of the greatest benefits to our customers, is an increasing appreciation of photo-electroforming (PEF) and the opportunities it offers their designers as they liaise with our own”, said Noel Cherowbrier, Tecan’s sales and marketing director. “As designers’ relationships develop, they increasingly realise that we can make micro-metal components with more exacting designs and tighter tolerances than they ever realised was traditionally achievable. Unique and extremely sophisticated three-dimensional parts are now being conceived as OEM engineers and designers think laterally with the wider technology envelope available to them - through the traditional ‘X/Y’ axis, and now beyond - through exploitation of the ‘Z’ axis too.”
A recent example came in the form of a single order, worth £0.5 million, from a prestige International medical equipment company. Following a development period which moved away from the company’s original component design, which was prone to production and repeatability problems, a completely new part was conceived. This can described as an open-topped oblong box, measuring just 787 micron (W) x 1980 micron (L) and with side walls 100 micron high and only 130 micron thick. Crucially, the multi-level process provides the, 32 micron thick, base of the ultra-miniature box with a mesh matrix of tiny holes, each just 50.6 micron across. Not only does the new all-in-one part significantly exceed the original specification, it is cost-effective and consistently accurate. It is quick and easy to assemble and offers optimum yields.
A further example, developed for a world-leading electronics company, is a 45micron thick gold-plated encoder disk featuring a series of round holes, each only 35micron in diameter with a tolerance of ±5micron - in this case first samples were produced within one working week.
Photo Electroforming
PEF is the fabrication of simple and complex components, predominantly in two dimensions, by the selective deposition of metal. Shapes are grown atom by atom and fine process controls achieve very accurate tolerances with excellent repeatability. PEF components are generally produced on a flat metal mandrel which is cleaned and coated with light sensitive photo resist. The coated mandrel is exposed to ultra-violet light through the photo-master. The resist on the unexposed area of the metal mandrel is developed away to produce a matrix. The metal mandrel is then immersed in the electroforming solution. Carefully controlled electrolysis migrates metal atoms to the mandrel until the desired thickness is attained. The mandrel is removed from the solution and rinsed, the grown component is then separated from the mandrel.
Three Dimensional Electroforming
Three Dimensional Electroforming is a process where an exact replica of the desired finished shape is produced in the form of a mandrel, often in stainless steel nd preferably with a draft in order that the completed electroform may be removed without damaging the mandrel. However, electroforms often need to be manufactured in such a way that the mandrel will be sacrificial. This method of production allows the designer more scope and is brought about by using metals with a low melting point or wax that can be subsequently melted out, or plastics such as polystyrene that can be dissolved away.
Typical PEF components include: Surface-mount stencils; Encoder discs; Optical masks; Diaphragms; Metal belts and bands; Shaving foils; Meshes; Sieves; Washers; Shims; and Crystal masks.
“One of the greatest benefits to our customers, is an increasing appreciation of photo-electroforming (PEF) and the opportunities it offers their designers as they liaise with our own”, said Noel Cherowbrier, Tecan’s sales and marketing director. “As designers’ relationships develop, they increasingly realise that we can make micro-metal components with more exacting designs and tighter tolerances than they ever realised was traditionally achievable. Unique and extremely sophisticated three-dimensional parts are now being conceived as OEM engineers and designers think laterally with the wider technology envelope available to them - through the traditional ‘X/Y’ axis, and now beyond - through exploitation of the ‘Z’ axis too.”
A recent example came in the form of a single order, worth £0.5 million, from a prestige International medical equipment company. Following a development period which moved away from the company’s original component design, which was prone to production and repeatability problems, a completely new part was conceived. This can described as an open-topped oblong box, measuring just 787 micron (W) x 1980 micron (L) and with side walls 100 micron high and only 130 micron thick. Crucially, the multi-level process provides the, 32 micron thick, base of the ultra-miniature box with a mesh matrix of tiny holes, each just 50.6 micron across. Not only does the new all-in-one part significantly exceed the original specification, it is cost-effective and consistently accurate. It is quick and easy to assemble and offers optimum yields.
A further example, developed for a world-leading electronics company, is a 45micron thick gold-plated encoder disk featuring a series of round holes, each only 35micron in diameter with a tolerance of ±5micron - in this case first samples were produced within one working week.
Photo Electroforming
PEF is the fabrication of simple and complex components, predominantly in two dimensions, by the selective deposition of metal. Shapes are grown atom by atom and fine process controls achieve very accurate tolerances with excellent repeatability. PEF components are generally produced on a flat metal mandrel which is cleaned and coated with light sensitive photo resist. The coated mandrel is exposed to ultra-violet light through the photo-master. The resist on the unexposed area of the metal mandrel is developed away to produce a matrix. The metal mandrel is then immersed in the electroforming solution. Carefully controlled electrolysis migrates metal atoms to the mandrel until the desired thickness is attained. The mandrel is removed from the solution and rinsed, the grown component is then separated from the mandrel.
Three Dimensional Electroforming
Three Dimensional Electroforming is a process where an exact replica of the desired finished shape is produced in the form of a mandrel, often in stainless steel nd preferably with a draft in order that the completed electroform may be removed without damaging the mandrel. However, electroforms often need to be manufactured in such a way that the mandrel will be sacrificial. This method of production allows the designer more scope and is brought about by using metals with a low melting point or wax that can be subsequently melted out, or plastics such as polystyrene that can be dissolved away.
Typical PEF components include: Surface-mount stencils; Encoder discs; Optical masks; Diaphragms; Metal belts and bands; Shaving foils; Meshes; Sieves; Washers; Shims; and Crystal masks.
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