Micro Manufacturing

TIGHT TOLERANCE MICRO MANUFACTURING WITH EDM AND PRECISION MILLING

What is Micro Manufacturing?

Manufacturing at a micro scale requires machining processes capable of micron level tolerances and repeatability. Many micromachined components incorporate features that are only a few microns in size and require absolute accuracy. Sometimes referred to as micro/meso-scale mechanical manufacturing (or M4 processes), micromachining typically creates products using specialized machinery that is purpose built to establish superior accuracy and consistency between the miniature parts being produced. Ongoing product miniaturization in a multitude of industries is requiring ever smaller and tighter tolerance components to be produced.

EDM Intelligent Solutions has been at the forefront of unique micromanufacturing techniques applied to traditional electrical discharge machining processes for 25 years. Coupled with extremely high resolution automated 3D metrology systems, the micro manufacturing team at EDMIS is able to machine some of the tiniest, most intricate and extremely delicate parts that can be designed.

If your part is too small for the other CNC machine shops that offer micromanufacturing, odds are that it is perfect for the EDM Department at EDMIS.

Capabilities

MICRO MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES

As industries continue to miniaturize their products due to demand for ever smaller and more efficient technologies, the need for tighter tolerance machining and manufacturing processed continues to grow. It is not uncommon to see various components be manufactured at EDM Intelligent Solutions that are not visible to the naked eye. The extremely high magnification automated 3D measurement and inspection systems produced by our 3D Metrology Systems group are directly integrated into the micro manufacturing operations and processes used by the EDM Department at EDMIS to machine impossibly small and delicate parts while meeting tolerances as tight as 1 micron.

Micro Manufacturing Services Provided

⦁ Fine Wire EDM (wire diameters as small as 20 microns)
⦁ Micro Sinker EDM (aspect ratios up to 38:1, surface finishes to 4Ra micro inch)
⦁ Micro-Milling (cutter sizes as small as 25 micron)
⦁ Laser Ablation (laser beam size as small as 50 micron)
⦁ 3D Metrology (non-contact measurement and inspection with nano-meter resolutions)

We offer precision micro-manufacturing capabilities that allow our customers to meet unique demands like aspect ratios of 38:1, features sizes as small as 40um, use of wire diameters as small as 20um and advanced quality specifications. Combining state-of-the-art equipment with engineers and machinists with decades of industry experience, EDMIS can manufacture the smallest, most intricate parts with flawless accuracy – whether you need a single prototype or 100,000 pieces. Whatever you need, we’re here to help make your micro manufacturing project a success. With 25 years of experience in micro and nano-manufacturing, we can take your project from concept all the way to final production.

Materials

MICRO MANUFACTURING MATERIALS

EDMIS strives to meet your specific needs. Through strategic sourcing partnerships with a vast array of qualified material suppliers nationwide, we can manufacture your components from the exact materials that you require. Strict quality standards are met by all vendors and material suppliers to EDM Intelligent Solutions to ensure that the components we produce can meet the highest standards commonly required by the Aerospace, Automotive, Communications, Defense, Medical and Scientific industries. With 25 years of experience, we have utilized a vast array of materials in our different manufacturing projects.

Micro Manufacturing Compatible Materials

EDM Intelligent Solutions has completed thousands of Micro Manufacturing projects using a diverse set of materials including those listed below. Don’t see your specific material on the list? Contact us to determine if that material can be cut using one of our many conventional CNC or electrical discharge machining methods and to learn how EDMIS can source that material for you.

Ceramics
Glass
Graphite
Plastics
Performance Plastics
LCP
Peek
Nylon
Thermoplastics
Thermoset Plastics
Highly Engineered Plastics
Metals
Precision Tool Steels
Titanium
Copper
Exotic Metals
Refractory Metals
Aluminum
Tungsten
Molybdenum
Tantalum

Common Projects

COMMON MICRO MANUFACTURING APPLICATIONS

When components require extremely small and deep holes and/or micro sized through holes, Fine Hole EDM Drilling should be considered. Fine Hole EDM services are well suited for parts requiring intricate tolerances, the limitation of material stress and thermal heating, and those needing superior surface roughness finishes. Small Hole Sinker EDM drilling is sometimes the only machining method that can produce such tiny holes when materials that are too hard or too brittle are required by design. Conventional machining methods like CNC drilling may not even have drills small enough available to match the sizes that Fine Hole EDM Drilling can produce. Through integrated machine automation, the quantities of parts being completed can easily be scaled up to meet the high volumes required by some of our largest customers.

This is just a small sample of all the types of components that EDM Intelligent Solutions has manufactured using our advanced Wire EDM machining processes. There really aren’t many types of parts that EDMIS has not worked on in some form over the last 25 years serving these industries. No project is too big or part too complex or tolerance too tight for EDM Intelligent Solutions which makes us the preferred partner for OEM manufacturers nationwide. To learn more about how EDMIS can help you contact our manufacturing team with your request for quote.

Sample Micro Manufacturing Applications

Interconnect Components – microminiature electrical contacts
Fiber Optic Components – micro fiber connections and assembly tooling
Medical Components – miniature drug delivery systems, surgical implants and tooling
Optical Lenses – microminiature lens arrays
Research & Development – extremely tiny particle sensors, accelerator components like waveguides and beam tunnels
Aerospace Industry – micro cooling holes in turbine blades and fuel nozzles
Automotive Industry – engineered surfaces, micro fuel injectors
Plastic Injection Molding – micro injection molds for performance plastics and liquid silicone rubber

Case Study

MICRO MANUFACTURING CASE STUDY

Who is SLAC?

The SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is one of ten Department of Energy (DOE) offices of science laboratories and is operated by Stanford University. They’ve built the world’s longest particle accelerator, discovered some of the fundamental building blocks of matter and created the first website in North America. EDM Intelligent Solutions is a preferred manufacturing partner to many of the engineering and research teams at SLAC.

What did EDMIS do with SLAC?

Our company was able to utilize micro manufacturing capabilities to produce the necessary components for SLAC particle accelerator testing experiments. Specifically, copper and stainless steel structures were micro-machined to study the effect of “material on rf breakdown at short pulse, 100 GHz”-SLAC. EDM Intelligent Solutions is capable of aspect ratios up to 38:1, feature sizes as small as 40μm and tolerances as low as 1 micron which, in this instance, allowed for extremely precise experiments and testing.

Case Study in Micro Manufacturing: EDM Department Collaborates with U.S….. Department of Energy Particle Accelerator Lab

Competitive Micro Manufacturing Solutions

Over the past 25 years, we’ve completed thousands of Micro Manufacturing projects. What differentiates EDM Intelligent Solutions manufacturing services from the competition is our ability to not only hold micron tolerances but to do so while still offering globally competitive pricing and lead times. Utilizing our vast knowledge of electrical discharge micro machining, micro milling, laser ablation, and precision micro grinding techniques with decades of industry experience, we are confident that we can produce your smallest, most challenging components within your exact specifications. To learn more about how EDMIS can help you contact our micro manufacturing team with your request for quote.

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