An extruded tube with low friction ID and OD features Hoowaki LLC’s microstructured surfaces. Many customers use micro machining technology for very
small components, such as battery technology in cell phones, he added, as well as for diaphragms, pumps and stents in medical applications, just for starters. “Tere’s also a lot of it that’s in R&D applications and for military and proprietary technology,” Howard noted. “In some cases, we work with the customer to develop processes specific to their part designs. In other cases, design details may be so sensitive that all process- ing is handled internally by R&D labs.”
Micro Fills a Niche More companies today are trying to find their niche
by turning to producing smaller and smaller, high-end products, enabling them to stand apart from others in their fields, noted Danny Haight, MC Milling national product manager, MC Machinery Systems Inc. (Wood Dale, IL), a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corp. and the importer of the Roku-Roku micro machining line as well as Mitsubishi EDM, Mitsubishi Laser, MC Waterjet, MC Press Brakes and MC Milling equipment. “We always educate our customers to realize that buying a small cutter does not constitute micro manufacturing,” Haight
said. “Obviously you must be working with a well-built, rigid and stable machine. Te machine must also have a reliable, high-speed, low run-out spindle and the right CNC for a controlled toolpath.” Toolholders have to be critically balanced, with
minimal run-out, Haight advised, and cutters should be high-quality carbide with the proper coating and geom- etry to match the material being machined, with extreme accuracy and repeatability from cutter to cutter. “Having software that can produce complex high-speed toolpaths and minimize tool burial is imperative,” he added. “Envi- ronment is often overlooked, as manufacturers are being asked to hold tighter and tighter tolerances and produce smaller and smaller parts—maintaining a stable environ- ment is key factor.” With Roku-Roku’s micro machining technology, it is not
uncommon to machine tool steel with a 0.004" (0.102-mm) ball end mills, Haight added. “Our applications department in Japan has successfully drilled 0.0004" (0.0102-mm) holes in machinable ceramic,” he noted, “and we can achieve position- to-position accuracy of less than 0.00002" (0.00051 mm) with the proper machine.”