MACRO/MICRO/NANO
Add comment April 3rd, 2009
For several years Minneapolis has been the site for the International Micro and Nano Machine Conference. I finally got to attend, Thursday. At SJTI we thrive in the MACRO manufacturing world but we have been moving into the Micro Manufacturing world. Our biggest customer is in Canada, area customers need our services more plus at the Eigerlab I have been exposed to Micromachining…infact I ran into them in Minneapolis. Since at SJTI I am the resident compliance “police” it was neat to sit through the morning of speakers on micromachining metrology. Techniques are being pioneered in Video measurement using mirror video and micro probes. A big focus is on creating an environment where the parts can be machined and then measured right where they are processed, without moving them first. Right now testing and verification of micro and nano parts can cost 30 to 50% of the cost of the part itself. For Macro applications we expect less than 10%! I have heard some “inventors” say they are not even trying to measure—they are just trying to prove the process—but we all know that before an OEM is going to accept these parts this issue has to be resolved. NIST is working on how to verify the machines, themselves. Their web site has free software to download that can help with data verification. At the end of the day we all agreed that we want parts that pass and fit! One of the speakers said that if companies, in this downturn, are not developing new killer technologies they are not using this time wisely. He suggested that if you are solving a problem for someone they will have the $$ for it! Good advice in MACRO/MICRO or NANO worlds!
In the afternoon about 40 of us toured ARC (Advanced Research Corporation). 11,000 sq feet of the 36,000 square feet was clean rooms! They do Nano-Precision CNC Machining, Thin Films and Devices and have Analytical & Failure Analysis Labs. It was developed since 2004, a woman owned business with 20 employees. Fascinating! I made some great contacts with people who have joining problems SJTI would love to solve. I have been inspired to keep trying to grow that profit center of our business—but I really want to partner with others in Rockford—are you out there? Do we have any of us developing killer applications in this down turn? I sure hope so!
