Exploiting multi-material micro injection moulding for enhancing manufacturing competitiveness
Launched in October 2012, the research project EX-MMIM (Exploiting Multi-Material Micro Injection Moulding for Enhancing Manufacturing Competitiveness) intends to contribute towards high value-added manufacturing in Malta. The overall goal of this project is to create and share new knowledge on the design and manufacture of micro components made up of two different materials.
This project contributes towards networking between experts in academia and in industry. The consortium is made up of the Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Malta, and three industrial partners, Tek-Moulds Precision Engineering Ltd, Techniplast Ltd and Playmobil Malta Ltd. The Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering is the coordinator of the project.
To carry out this research, a case study part was designed and fabricated. It consists of a two-material micro component which is attached at the tip of an endoscope. An endoscope is an instrument which is used to capture images inside the body. The part is made up of a transparent optical component moulded as the first shot and an opaque housing moulded as the second shot. The design and manufacture of the injection mould tool required was a challenging task, particularly to eject the part from the mould and to eliminate defects on the optical component. Another crucial task was the identification of the optimum process parameters such as the mould temperature.
A series of simulations and experiments ensured that major defects such as weld lines and air entrapment wound not be occur on the lens area and no deformation would occur around the lens area when the second material is injected over the optical component.
The project results were disseminated at an international conference and attracted established research groups, such as the Institute of Microstructure Technology of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
Further details on this research project are available at EXMMIM