Micro-structured parts on the basis of thermoplastic foils

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Dietmar Drummer, since 2/2016
• Subject Area: Plastics Engineering
• Term: from 2013 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 242296869

Micro-thermoforming is a cost-efficient procedure to generate thin-walled micro-structured parts with high aspect ratios, which are mostly used for medical applications. When using this technique, a foil is inserted between a mold that is equipped with micro cavities, and a counterplate, the forming area is evacuated, and the foil is heated up to forming temperature. Subsequently, the process of foil forming takes place which is generally carried out on a press or a hot embossing machine under gas pressure. After the following cooling sequence, with gas pressure constantly applied, the formed foil is demolded. Integrating the micro-thermoforming of thermoplastic foils into the injection molding process is a completely new procedure, which, apart from the technique of forming by gas pressure, allows for forming by melt pressure. Moreover, multifunctional micro-structured parts can be generated due to the option of connecting additional functional elements to the micro-thermoformed foil in one process.The main objective of the present project is the research of the process induced properties of micro-structured parts which are produced by variothermal micro-thermoforming of thermoplastic foils as an integral part of the injection molding process. The forming process is to be carried out by gas and melt pressure. This condition requires provision and application of the novel processing technique in terms of an enhanced injection molding equipment and a novel mold technique. The variothermal micro injection molding is ready for serial production, which is an evident benefit, while the approach of combining this technique to the micro-thermoforming process is considered as completely new. This project is designed to provide users with a novel processing strategy to produce micro-structured parts with multifunctional properties, e.g. for part handling or for part assembly, that can not currently be obtained with other processing techniques. What is more, the investigations are due to generate profound knowledge of the correlations between the novel process and the properties of micro-structured parts which furthermore should enable part optimization in terms of an efficient process.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Major Instrumentation: Mikrothermoform-Spritzgießwerkzeug
• Instrumentation Group: 2210 Kunststoffpressen und -spritzgußgeräte
• Ehemalige Antragstellerin: Dr.-Ing. Ariane Jungmeier, until 2/2016