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Metal Additive Manufacturing micro parts: How Computational Engineering methods can enable new micro robotic applications Metal Injection Moulding has been the technology of choice for the micro robotics industry for many years, delivering micro-sized precision metal components in medium to high volumes. As the complexity and number of applications increases, there is an opportunity for accelerated product development and more flexible manufacturing through the combination of sinter-based Additive Manufacturing and Computational Engineering. Here, Dr Gerald Mitteramskogler, Josefine Lissner and Dr Stefan Bindl consider how these technologies can be combined for the best possible results.
Resources and their intelligent usage is rapidly becoming a key topic for society. As a result, the way we engineer and manufacture products is having to adapt to these needs. One result is the requirement to deliver smaller, more efficient products. The combination of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-supported designs, as well as innovative manufacturing methods, is recognised as one key to unlock significant improvements. The field of micro robotics in particular is rapidly expanding, finding applications in diverse sectors, but particularly in medicine. The smaller these robots get, the less energy is required to produce and operate them and, very often, miniaturisation is a key feature for the application itself – as is the case with surgical instruments. A significant challenge faced by micro robotics engineers is the packaging of intricate mechanisms into compact design spaces, including optimising components for mass reduction and power efficiency. Computational Engineering (CE) is
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one tool with which to address these challenges, with production enabled through the leveraging of Additive Manufacturing technologies. This article considers the use of Vat Photopolymerisation (VPP) AM for the production of highly precise parts and assemblies. The integration of CE
and this unique form of sinter-based AM, paired with the focus on serial manufacturing, offers a comprehensive solution to the design, cost, and capabilities of micro robotics. In addition, fast iterations and efficient prototyping is enabled, accelerating product development.
Fig. 1 As-sintered parts designed by Leap 71 and additively manufactured with Incus’ Hammer Lab35 AM machine (Courtesy Incus GmbH)
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CE for micro robotic applications
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