Principal Investigator David Hardt
Project Website http://web.mit.edu/cpmweb/
The Center for Polymer Microfabrication (CPM) seeks to create a fundamental basis for the design and optimal operation of the processes used to manufacture microfluidic devices with micron and sub-micron sized capillaries. Researchers are at MIT and at NTU and NUS Singapore.
CPM develops enabling systems and technologies for emerging industries in polymer based manufacturing. Focus is on the large-scale commercialization of micro fluidic devices for chemical, biomedical, and photonic applications. The group strives to further the understanding of the entire polymer manufacturing process, from material, to equipment and tooling, to metrology, to systems. It will address the critical issues of productivity, cost, quality and logistics issues that define large scale manufacturing.
CPM is funded by the SMA program, and industrial sponsors. It actively seeks new strategic industrial partners for collaboratation and mutual advice.
CPM seeks to create a fundamental basis for the design and optimal operation of the processes used to manufacture microfluidic devices with micron and sub-micron sized capillaries. Further, the group strive to identify the ultimate process limits in terms of cost, quality, rate and flexibility.
The applications driving these research objectives are microfluidic devices with micron and sub-micron sized capillaries. This includes, amongst others, micro-reactors for biomedical diagnosis, and fluidic photonic devices.
These applications are characterized by micron scale product dimensions, high value added, extreme quality requirements, mass customization, time sensitive distribution and potentially new business structures.
The Center's research focuses on (1) the materials and mechanics aspects of several polymer-based manufacturing processes, (2) precision tooling and equipment design and analysis predicated on sophisticated machine- and process-control principles, (3) metrology (measurement) techniques to analyze parts and tooling in order to close the quality manufacturing loop for these products, (4) systems analysis, to understand the factory and the supply-chain. In this way, we establish an integrated core of understanding of the full commercial realization of polymer-based manufacturing.
The specific manufacturing processes currently being considered are: (1) soft-lithography or micro-casting, (2) micro-imprint-lithography or micro-forging, and (3) micro-injection-molding.
CPM develops engineering science-based simulation tools, as well as prototype equipment for these polymer-based manufacturing processes.