Micro Manufacturing Keeps Shrinking the Envelope By Patrick
Waurzyniak Micro components continue to shrink in size,
demanding ever-greater precision and improved handling of parts
with sub-micron-sized features. New approaches in micro
machining technology include higher-precision systems from
traditional micro machining developers, as well as techniques
using additive manufacturing processes and semiconductor wafer-
scale technology on the smallest of micro parts. With micro
machining and molding techniques, manufacturers can create an
astounding array of extremely small parts for medical uses
including catheters, surgical tools, and implants made from a
variety of materials including metals, ceramics, silicon and
PEEK polymers. Micro components also increasingly power the
latest high-tech devices with the small batteries, connectors,
LEDs and IC chips found in smartphones and iPads, and some of
the tiny devices being used in aerospace and defense
applications by the military. “The industry is definitely gett