SBIR Phase I: Silicon Insert Molded Plastics: Mold & Process Development

SBIR 第一阶段：硅嵌件模压塑料：模具

• 批准号: 0512575
• 负责人: Martin Quinn
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Custom Engineering Plastics
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-07-01 至 2006-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0512575&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Silicon; Insert; Molded

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project aims to develop a process for injection molding polymer parts with tolerances, smoothness, and dimensions at a nanoscale level. This process, called Silicon Insert Molded Plastics (SIMP) (funded by a NSF grant), employs silicon inserts manufactured using microfabrication techniques as the feature generating surfaces of a mold tool. Current mold manufacturing techniques such as micro-EDM or polymer embossing are either unable to generate sub-micron features or are unable to do so at a reasonable cost. By using microfabricated silicon features like KOH etched, nanometer smooth planes, sub-micron mold tools can be created in large quantities and at a low cost. As a test bed for this process, a new fiber optic connector has been developed, including tolerance based modeling and generation of the silicon mold inserts. In this project, mold inserts will be created using current manufacturing technology and the SIMP process, as well as a mold base, capable of molding parts with either the metal or silicon inserts. The objective of this project is to compare the mold trials in terms of engineering results (e.g. precision, quality of molded parts), manufacturing techniques (e.g. integration of Si molds, processing variations, materials) and economics. Using this data, metrics will be developed for selecting and using SIMP as a manufacturing process. Furthermore, this information can be used to refine the connector model and to specify manufacturing parameters for a final part.The broader impacts of this technology would be a reduction in the cost of fiber optic communications and by introducing a new manufacturing technique that would allow for the creation of parts with sub-micron features at a currently unattainable low cost.

这个小型企业创新研究阶段项目旨在开发一个以纳米级水平的耐受性，光滑度和尺寸的注射成型聚合物零件的过程。这个过程称为硅插入模制塑料（SIMP）（由NSF赠款资助），使用使用微加工技术制造的硅插入物作为生成模具工具表面的特征。当前的霉菌制造技术（例如微型EDM或聚合物压花）无法产生亚微米特征，要么无法以合理的成本来产生。通过使用微生物的硅特征，例如KOH蚀刻，纳米平滑的平面，可以大量生产量且成本低。作为此过程的测试床，已经开发了新的光纤连接器，包括基于公差的建模和硅模具插入物的生成。在该项目中，将使用当前的制造技术和SIMP工艺以及能够用金属或硅插入物来模制零件的模具底座。该项目的目的是根据工程结果（例如精度，模制零件的质量），制造技术（例如SI模具的整合，加工变化，材料）和经济学比较模具试验。使用此数据，将开发指标来选择和使用SIMP作为制造过程。此外，该信息可用于完善连接器模型并指定最终部分的制造参数。该技术的更广泛的影响将降低光纤通信的成本，并通过引入一种新的制造技术，从而允许以当前无与伦比的低成本创建零件特征的零件。