• WHAT IS THE PROBLEM/ISSUE BEING ADDRESSED BY MICROMAN?
Micro-manufacturing processes are key enabling technologies for manufacturing companies and technology providers in Europe. Post-process (i.e. off-line) metrology has for long time been the bottleneck of industrial implementation of micro-manufacturing technologies in industry. It is of critical importance to reduce the off-line metrology effort, since metrology can take up to 25-35% of total production time in micro-manufacturing. To solve this fundamental challenge, the MICROMAN Early Stage Researchers have investigated, implemented and validated the so-called ‘Product/Process Manufacturing Fingerprint’ concept.
By integrating both Product and Process Manufacturing Fingerprint concepts the metrology effort can be highly reduced and product quality increased, with obvious improvement of the production yield.
MICROMAN research has reduced the off-line metrology effort and achieved at same time zero-defect micro manufacturing processes.
• WHY IS MICROMAN IMPORTANT FOR SOCIETY?
The leading role in the micro manufacturing European industry is played by close to 40,000 SMEs, which employ around 2 million people and present a turnover close to 200 billion euros. However, even though European industry is among the worldwide technology leaders, the increasing market demands suggest a need for expansion of micro-fabrication process capabilities for mass manufacture of micro-components and miniaturised parts. A necessary condition for the European productive sector to be at the global forefront of technology, ensuring job creation and sustainable growth, is to have access to innovative, entrepreneurial, highly skilled research engineers in the fields of micro manufacturing and micro product/process development. The goal of the European Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network project called Process Fingerprint for Zero-defect Net-shape MICROMANufacturing (MICROMAN) has been to train this type of engineering profiles as they are not currently readily available, and to provide access to this new talent pool to the European Industry.
• WHAT ARE THE OVERALL OBJECTIVES OF THE MICROMAN PROJECT?
The MICROMAN ITN project has provided world excellent research training to 13 ESRs in the field of micro manufacturing. Throughout an integrated research and training effort coordinated among its partners, the MICROMAN project has successfully developed, validated and implemented:
(1) Innovative technological solutions for high quality and high throughput production for the micro manufacturing industry;
(2) Cutting edge multi-disciplinary training in different domains (µ-polymer moulding, µ-metal forming, µ-extrusion, µ-machining, µ-tooling technologies, µ-product and µ-manufacturing process metrology);
(3) Validation of different µ-manufacturing processes by integration into process chains for the production of micro component for the bio-medical, health-care, machine tool, pharmaceutical, quality control and metrology sectors.
During its 48 months of project duration, MICROMAN has accomplished all the objectives in term of scientific results, research training, networking and transfer of knowledge, dissemination, outreach activities, and management, all in accordance with the DoA, its content and schedule.
