Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Processes Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Micro/Nano Manufacturing Processes: Theories and Optimization Techniques

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Manufacturing Processes and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024 | Viewed by 14345

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zejia Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
Interests: ultra-precision machining; micro or nano scale machining; cutting of difficult-to-cut materials; electropusling treatment; numerical modeling; material science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Guoqing Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Lihu Campus, Xueyuan Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518060, China
Interests: ultra-precision machining process and technology; diamond tool; smart machining; machining equipment; advanced cutting technology; design of instruments and equipment for in extreme environments
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Wai Sze YIP

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China
Interests: ultra-precision machining technology; ultra-precision machining of difficult-to-cut materials; sustainable precision machining; sustainability development of precision manufacturing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Manufacturing at the micro/nano scale creates many opportunities to fabricate micro and nano structures or to manufacture high-precision components, which has attracted considerable attention in fields such as optics, electronics, precision instruments, the semiconductor industry, biomedical engineering, etc. Over the years, much effort has been devoted to investigating the micro/nano manufacturing processes, but there are still some challenges to fully understanding them, since the deformation mechanism of materials at the micro/nano scales is quite different from the well-known deformation mechanisms at the macro scale. This Special Issue is dedicated to the special theories and some optimization techniques of the micro/nano manufacturing processes. Therefore, we are pleased to invite you to publish original research or review articles in the new Special Issue entitled “Micro/Nano Manufacturing Processes: Theories and Optimization Techniques”. We kindly invite you to promote the journal among your colleagues and invite them to publish in this Special Issue.

This Special Issue aims to study some essential issues about theories and optimization techniques in the micro/nano manufacturing processes. Original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Micro/nano manufacturing technologies such as ultraprecision machining, photolithography, etching, ion beam machining, microforming, micromolding, etc.
Theories and simulation analyses of micro/nano manufacturing;
Molecular dynamic simulation of nano manufacturing;
Optimization methods of micro/nano manufacturing processes;
Size effects in micro/nano manufacturing;
Micro/nano additive manufacturing;
Non-conventional micro machining processes;
Fabrication technologies and applications of nanomaterials;
Applications of micro/nano components or systems.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Zejia Zhao
Prof. Dr. Guoqing Zhang
Dr. Wai Sze YIP
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

micro/nano manufacturing
theories
molecular dynamic
optimization methods
size effects
micro/nano additive manufacturing
non-conventional micro machining
nanomaterials
applications

Published Papers (12 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

14 pages, 1716 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Ultrasonic Plasticizing and Pressing of High-Aspect Ratio Micropillar Arrays with Superhydrophobic and Superoleophilic Properties

by Shiyun Wu, Jianjun Du, Shuqing Xu, Jianguo Lei, Jiang Ma and Likuan Zhu

Processes 2024, 12(5), 856; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12050856 - 24 Apr 2024

Viewed by 246

Abstract

An ultrasonic plasticizing and pressing method (UPP) that fully utilizes ultrasonic vibration is proposed for fabricating thermoplastic polymer surface microstructures with high aspect ratios (ARs). The characteristics of UPP are elucidated based on the plasticization of the raw material, the melt flow, and the stress on the template microstructure during the forming process. Initially, the micronscale single-stage micropillar arrays (the highest AR of 4.1) were fabricated by using 304 stainless steel thin sheets with micronscale pore (through-hole) arrays as primary templates. Subsequently, anodic aluminum oxides (AAOs) with ordered nanoscale pore arrays were added as secondary templates, and the micro/nanoscale hierarchical micropillar arrays (the highest AR up to 24.1) were successfully fabricated, which verifies the feasibility and forming capability of UPP. The superiority and achievements of UPP are illustrated by comparing the prepared hierarchical micropillar arrays with those prepared in the previous work in four indexes: microstructure scale, aspect ratio, forming time, and preheating temperature of the raw material. Finally, the water contact angle (WCA) and oil droplet complete immersion time of the surface microstructures were measured by a droplet shape analyzer, and the results indicate that the prepared micropillar arrays are superhydrophobic and superoleophilic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Manufacturing Processes: Theories and Optimization Techniques)

13 pages, 3164 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Novel Approach to Optimizing Grinding Parameters in the Parallel Grinding Process

by Tengfei Yin, Hanqian Zhang, Wei Hang and Suet To

Processes 2024, 12(3), 493; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12030493 - 28 Feb 2024

Viewed by 585

Abstract

Hard materials have found extensive applications in the fields of electronics, optics, and semiconductors. Parallel grinding is a common method for fabricating high-quality surfaces on hard materials with high efficiency. However, the surface generation mechanism has not been fully understood, resulting in a lack of an optimization approach for parallel grinding. In this study, the surface profile formation processes were analyzed under different grinding conditions. Then, a novel method was proposed to improve surface finish in parallel grinding, and grinding experiments were carried out to validate the proposed approach. It was found that the denominator (b) of the simplest form of the rotational speed ratio of the grinding wheel to the workpiece has a great influence on surface generation. The surface finish can be optimized without sacrificing the machining efficiency by slightly adjusting the rotational speeds of the wheel or the workpiece to make the value of b close to the ratio (p) of the wheel contact width to the cross-feed distance per workpiece revolution. Overall, this study provides a novel approach for optimizing the parallel grinding process, which can be applied to industrial applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Manufacturing Processes: Theories and Optimization Techniques)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 6307 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving the Quality of Tantalum Cylindrical Deep-Drawn Part Formation Using Different Lubricating Media-Coated Dies

by Teng Xu, Shihao Dou, Mingwu Su, Jianbin Huang, Ningyuan Zhu, Shangpang Yu and Likuan Zhu

Processes 2024, 12(1), 210; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12010210 - 18 Jan 2024

Viewed by 749

Abstract

Lubrication is one of the key factors to improve metal-forming quality. In the process of deep drawing, seizing tumors easily occur on the contact surfaces between the tantalum metal and the mold, which greatly affects the forming quality of the deep-drawn parts. Quality-forming quality problems that occur during the deep drawing of tantalum metal are studied from the perspective of lubrication in this paper. Three lubrication media, caster oil, PE (polyethylene) film, and DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) film, were adopted in the deep drawing of tantalum cylindrical cups. A universal testing machine and microscope were used to investigate the effect of lubrication media on the limit-drawing ratio, maximum forming force, and surface topography quality during the deep drawing process of the tantalum sheet. The results reveal that the lubrication of the PE film and DLC film can greatly improve the forming quality of the tantalum metal sheet, in which the DLC film has higher wear resistance and lower friction coefficient and can be used as the lubricating medium in the industrial forming process of tantalum deep-drawn parts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Manufacturing Processes: Theories and Optimization Techniques)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 5120 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Scheduling Optimization of Printed Circuit Board Micro-Hole Drilling Production Line Based on Complex Events

by Qian Zhou, Xupeng Hu, Siyuan Peng, Yonghui Li, Tao Zhu and Hongyan Shi

Processes 2023, 11(11), 3073; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11113073 - 26 Oct 2023

Viewed by 737

Abstract

The interdependence between the scheduling method and the production efficiency of a micro-hole drilling production line for printed circuit boards (PCBs) holds significant importance, necessitating the optimization of such a production line’s scheduling. Consequently, this research paper presents a scheduling optimization approach for the micro-hole drilling production line of a PCB, utilizing complex events as its foundation. Initially, a complex event model was constructed to establish correlations among extensive production line data. Subsequently, the typical complex events associated with the micro-hole drilling production line of a PCB were defined, thereby enabling the all-around monitoring of the operation state of such a production line. Furthermore, this study presents the establishment of a production scheduling model for PCB micro-hole drilling. With the goal of minimizing the maximum completion time, the catastrophe genetic algorithm was used to solve the initial scheduling scheme of the printed circuit board micro-hole drilling production line. The reliability and effectiveness of the catastrophe genetic algorithm in solving the hybrid-driven production scheduling problem of complex events were verified. Dynamic scheduling was performed when three complex events occurred in the production line: emergency order insertion, abnormal equipment operation, and tool failure. The scheduling optimization rate after identifying the emergency insertion event could reach 25.1%. The scheduling optimization rate of the production equipment operation event was related to the specific failure time of the equipment. The scheduling optimization rate after identifying the tool failure event could reach 25%. Rescheduling immediately after identifying the tool failure event could exert no effect on the initial scheduling process. It was proven that the identification and rescheduling of complex events can improve the production efficiency of a PCB micro-hole drilling production line. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Manufacturing Processes: Theories and Optimization Techniques)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 4463 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Topology Optimization of Compliant Mechanisms Considering Manufacturing Uncertainty, Fatigue, and Static Failure Constraints

by Dongpo Zhao and Haitao Wang

Processes 2023, 11(10), 2914; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11102914 - 04 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1000

Abstract

This study presents a new robust formulation for the topology optimization of compliant mechanisms, addressing the design challenges while considering manufacturability, static strength, and fatigue failure. A three-field density projection is implemented to control the minimum size of both real-phase and null-phase material structures to meet the manufacturing process requirements. The static strength is evaluated via the sum of the amplitude and the mean absolute value of the signed von Mises stress. The fatigue failure is solved via the modified Goodman criterion. The real output displacement is optimized by adding artificial springs to the prescribed value. This approach is implemented based on an improved solid isotropic material with penalization (SIMP) interpolation method to describe and solve the optimization model and derive the shape sensitivity of the optimization problem. Finally, two numerical examples are applied to illustrate the effectiveness of the presented method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Manufacturing Processes: Theories and Optimization Techniques)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

20 pages, 18579 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition Filament Distribution on Coated Tools Performance in Milling of Zirconia Ceramics

by Louis Luo Fan, Wai Sze Yip, Zhanwan Sun, Baolong Zhang and Suet To

Processes 2023, 11(9), 2773; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11092773 - 16 Sep 2023

Viewed by 719

Abstract

Zirconia ceramics (ZrO₂) have been used for a variety of applications due to their superior physical properties, including in machining tools and dentures. Nonetheless, due to its extreme hardness and brittleness in both sintered and half-sintered forms, zirconia is difficult to machine. In this study, half-sintered zirconia blocks are milled with tungsten carbide milling tools which arecoated with diamond film using hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) at various substrate-to-filament distances. The objective was to determine the effect of substrate-to-filament distances on the coating thickness, diamond purity, coating grain size, and ZrO₂ machining performance during HFCVD. The experimental results show that, in HFCVD, the grain size and coating thickness of the diamond film on milling tools tend to decrease when the substrate-to-filament distances decrease. Tool failure happened at a cutting time of 200 min for all coated tools. However, the machining quality in terms of surface topology, surface roughness, and tool condition is superior for diamond-coated milling tools with smaller grain sizes and thinner thicknesses. It can be concluded that diamond milling tools with a smaller grain size and lesser thickness produced under shorter substrate-to-filament distances have a superior machining performance and a longer tool life. This study could potentially be used for parameter optimization in the production of coated tools. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Manufacturing Processes: Theories and Optimization Techniques)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 4244 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prediction Model of the Remaining Useful Life of the Drill Bit during Micro-Drilling of the Packaging Substrate

by Xianwen Liu, Sha Tao, Tao Zhu, Zhaoguo Wang and Hongyan Shi

Processes 2023, 11(9), 2653; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11092653 - 05 Sep 2023

Viewed by 796

Abstract

The packaging substrate plays a significant role in electrical connection, heat dissipation, and protection for the chips. With the characteristics of high hardness and the complex material composition of packaging substrates, drill bit failure is an austere challenge in micro-drilling procedures. In order to monitor the health state of the drill bit and predict its remaining useful life (RUL) in micro-drilling of packaging substrate, an improved RUL prediction model is established based on the similarity principle, degradation rate, and offset coefficient. And then, a micro-drilling experiment on packaging substrate is carried out to collect the axial drilling force through the precision drilling force measurement platform. Axial drilling force signals, which are processed via the Wiener filtering method, are used to analyze the effectiveness of the improved RUL prediction model. The experiment results indicate that, compared to the curves of the traditional RUL prediction model, the curves of the improved RUL prediction model present a higher fitting degree with the actual RUL curves. The average relative errors of the improved RUL prediction model are small and stable in all groups; all of the values are less than 15%, while the fluctuation of the average relative errors of the traditional model is greatly large, and the maximum value even reaches 74.43%. Therefore, taking the degradation rate and offset coefficient into account is a proper method to enhance the accuracy of the RUL prediction model. Furthermore, the improved RUL prediction model is a reliable theoretical support for the health state monitoring of drill bits during the micro-drilling of packaging substrates, which also acts as a potential method to improve micro hole processing efficiency for packaging substrates. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Manufacturing Processes: Theories and Optimization Techniques)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

9 pages, 3950 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Efficient Method to Fabricate the Mold Cavity for a Helical Cylindrical Pinion

by Bo Wu, Likuan Zhu, Zhiwen Zhou, Cheng Guo, Tao Cheng and Xiaoyu Wu

Processes 2023, 11(7), 2033; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11072033 - 07 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1032

Abstract

An efficient method was proposed to fabricate the mold cavity for a helical cylindrical pinion based on a plastic torsion forming concept. The structure of the spur gear cavity with the same profile as the end face of the target helical gear cavity was first fabricated by low-speed wire electrical discharge machining (LS-WEDM). Then, the structure of the helical gear cavity could be obtained by twisting the spur gear cavity plastically around the central axis. In this way, the fabrication process of a helical cylindrical gear cavity could be greatly simplified, compared to the fabrication of a multi-stage helical gear core electrode and the highly difficult and complex spiral EDM process in the current gear manufacturing method. Moreover, several experiments were conducted to verify this novel processing concept, and a theoretical model was established to show the relationship between the machine torsion angle and the helical angle of a helical gear. Based on this theoretical model, the experimental results showed that it is feasible to precisely control the shape accuracy of a helical cylindrical pinion mold cavity by adjusting the machine torsion angle. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Manufacturing Processes: Theories and Optimization Techniques)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 8222 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Femtosecond Laser Ablation of Cu₅₀Zr₅₀ Metallic Glass Based on Two-Temperature Model

by Jingxiang Xu, Dengke Xue, Oleg Gaidai, Yang Wang and Shaolin Xu

Processes 2023, 11(6), 1704; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11061704 - 02 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1704

Abstract

Femtosecond laser machining, characterized by a small heat-affected zone, high precision, and non-contact operation, is ideal for processing metallic glasses. In this study, we employed a simulation method that combines the two-temperature model with molecular dynamics to investigate the effects of fluence and pulse duration on the femtosecond laser ablation of Cu₅₀Zr₅₀ metallic glass. Our results showed that the ablation threshold of the target material was 84 mJ/cm² at a pulse duration of 100 fs. As the pulse durations increased, the maximum electron temperature at the same position on the target surface decreased, while the electron–lattice temperature coupling time showed no significant difference. As the absorbed fluence increased, the maximum electron temperature at the same position on the target surface increased, while the electron–lattice temperature coupling time became shorter. The surface ablation of the target material was mainly induced by phenomena such as melting, spallation, and phase explosion caused by femtosecond laser irradiation. Overall, our findings provide valuable insights for optimizing the femtosecond laser ablation process for metallic glasses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Manufacturing Processes: Theories and Optimization Techniques)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 11228 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Low-Temperature Gas Cooling Correction Trajectory Offset Technology of Laser-Induced Thermal Crack Propagation for Asymmetric Linear Cutting Glass

by Chunyang Zhao, Zhihui Yang, Xiuhong Qiu, Jiayan Sun and Zejia Zhao

Processes 2023, 11(5), 1493; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11051493 - 15 May 2023

Viewed by 1333

Abstract

Laser-induced thermal crack propagation (LITP) is a high-quality and efficient processing method that has been widely used in fields such as glass cutting. However, the problem of trajectory deviation often arises in actual cutting operations, especially in asymmetric cutting. To address this issue, a low-temperature gas cooling trajectory deviation correction technique was proposed in this study. This technique modifies the temperature and stress distribution by spraying low-temperature gas onto the processing surface and maintaining a relative position with the laser, thereby correcting the trajectory deviation. The finite element simulation software ABAQUS was employed to numerically simulate the dynamic propagation of temperature fields, thermal stress, and cracks in the asymmetric linear cutting and circular cutting of soda-lime glass with the proposed low-temperature gas cooling trajectory deviation correction technique, and the correction mechanism was elucidated. In the simulation results, the optimal relative distance (ΔX) between the low-temperature gas and scanning laser was obtained by analyzing the transverse tensile stress. Based on the analysis of the experimental and numerical simulation results, it is concluded that the cryogenic gas cooling technique can effectively correct the trajectory deviation phenomenon of asymmetric linear cutting of soda lime glass by LITP. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Manufacturing Processes: Theories and Optimization Techniques)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 13772 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High-Speed Laser Cutting Silicon-Glass Double Layer Wafer with Laser-Induced Thermal-Crack Propagation

by Chunyang Zhao, Zhihui Yang, Shuo Kang, Xiuhong Qiu and Bin Xu

Processes 2023, 11(4), 1177; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11041177 - 11 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1983

Abstract

This paper studied laser induced thermal-crack propagation (LITP) dicing of a glass-silicon double-layer wafer with high scanning speed. A defocusing continuous laser was used in the experimental system as the volumetric heat source for the glass layer and the surface heat source for the silicon layer. Based on the principle of thermal-crack propagation, the commercial software ABAQUS was used on the simulated analysis, and the results of temperature field and thermal stress field distribution with high and low speed were compared. The experiment was executed in accordance with the simulation parameters. The surface morphology of the cut section was described by optical microscopy and a profilometer, and combined with the results, the non-synchronous propagation process of the crack under high speed scanning was revealed. Most importantly, the scanning section with a nanoscale surface roughness was obtained. The surface roughness of the silicon layer was 19 nm, and that of glass layer was 9 nm. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Manufacturing Processes: Theories and Optimization Techniques)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

47 pages, 39146 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review of Advances in Fabrication Methods and Assistive Technologies of Micro-Structured Surfaces

by Yuting Ma, Guoqing Zhang, Shuaikang Cao, Zexuan Huo, Junhong Han, Shuai Ma and Zejia Huang

Processes 2023, 11(5), 1337; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11051337 - 26 Apr 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2374

Abstract

Micro-structured surfaces possess excellent properties of friction, lubrication, drag reduction, antibacterial, and self-cleaning, which have been widely applied in optical, medical, national defense, aerospace fields, etc. Therefore, it is requisite to study the fabrication methods of micro-structures to improve the accuracy and enhance the performance of micro-structures. At present, there are plenty of studies focusing on the preparation of micro-structures; therefore, systematic review of the technologies and developing trend on the fabrication of micro-structures are needed. In present review, the fabrication methods of various micro-structures are compared and summarized. Specially, the characteristics and applications of ultra-precision machining (UPM) technology in the fabrication of micro-structures are mainly discussed. Additionally, the assistive technologies applied into UPM, such as fast tool servo (FTS) technology and slow tool servo (STS) technology to fabricate micro-structures with different characteristics are summarized. Finally, the principal characteristics and applications of fly cutting technology in manufacturing special micro-structures are presented. From the review, it is found that by combining different machining methods to prepare the base layer surface first and then fabricate the sublayer surface, the advantages of different machining technologies can be greatly exerted, which is of great significance for the preparation of multi-layer and multi-scale micro-structures. Furthermore, the combination of ultra-precision fly cutting and FTS/STS possess advantages in realizing complex micro-structures with high aspect ratio and high resolution. However, residual tool marks and material recovery are still the key factors affecting the form accuracy of machined micro-structures. This review provides advances in fabrication methods and assistive technologies of micro-structured surfaces, which serves as the guidance for both fabrication and application of multi-layer and multi-scale micro-structures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Manufacturing Processes: Theories and Optimization Techniques)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Micro/Nano Manufacturing Processes: Theories and Optimization Techniques

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (12 papers)

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI