Speaking at a Micro and NanoTechnology (MNT) Network press

presentation last year, Professor HughClare, director of the Network, said thatwhen it was set up in January 2004 (seebox item, page 25), a number of keymarkets in the UK were identified asrelevant – Healthcare andbiotechnology; Automotive andaerospace; Information andcommunications technologies; Food anddrink; Advanced manufacturing;Advanced materials; Energy; Security;and Environment.

It is important to understand,Professor Clare said, that some of theMNT technology that the aerospacesector, for example, is using actually hadits birth in other areas, particularlymedical, and in measuring and sensingdevices. So infra-red thermography usedin aircraft monitoring was first

developed for application in medicine.“The reason is that, in this case, themedical field can bear the entry costsbetter than others,” explained the MNTdirector. So, the message is, eventechnologies which at first appear inother fields and that have other initialpurposes will migrate into otherapplications.

Professor Clare instanced theaerospace sector specifically because theevent saw the launch of the AerospaceMNT Awareness Pack (see box item, left).

CURRENT MNT USESDr Ayman El-Fatatry of BAE Systemshighlighted current uses of MNT inaerospace. These include self-cleaningcoatings, abrasion resistance and de-

icing to support improved aerodynamics,lighter and stronger materials to supportbetter fuel efficiency, fuel additives togive longer range and reduce emissions,plus pressure retention in tyres, strongertyres, easy clean upholstery andimproved sealants.

A specific aerospace example he gavewas the use of nano-particles withincomposite materials – many propertieswere improved in a like-for-like weightsituation, he said. And in the area ofturbine blades, coatings will allow higheroperating temperatures which translatesinto higher efficiencies and loweremissions.

Dr El-Fatatry also leads a NATOworking group on MNT for defence andself-cleaning material have particular

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www.machinery.co.uk � February 2007

MICRO-MACHINING

Network for a smaller worldWhat is the UK’s Micro and Nano Technology (MNT) Network set up to do? How is MNT touching UK

manufacturing now? Who should be interested? Andrew Allcock finds some answers

Awareness packs

The MNT Network has published anumber of awareness packs. Todate these include:

� Wind power � Marine industry � Clothes and textiles � Food & packaging industry � Aerospace industry � Speciality chemicals � Medical devices and products

These can be downloaded fromwww.mntnetwork.com

Micro-fabricated cogs – the scale bar reads 2 mm, so the parts are some 4 mm in diameter.Such parts are features of Micro Electronic Mechanical Systems (MEMS). MEMS haverevolutionised the designs of gyroscopes, for example – see page 27

contains a significant increase in fundingover FP6, with €32 billion to be spentover the period, including €12.5 billion tobe spent on the two themes directlyrelevant to MNT, according to the MNTNewsletter, November 2006. It added that“the UK MNT community should beprimed for action”. And last month,Cardiff University (see box item, page25) held a ‘Manufacturing in FP7Conference’ to explain the FP7 researchprogramme, to propose research ideas,and to network with industry andresearchers in areas of interest. The two-day conference had a focused session onMicro-Nano Manufacturing.

MANUFACTURING PROCESSESMNT manufacturing processes can bedescribed as bottom up(additive/fabrication), building up fromsmall building blocks, or top down,machining small details starting with alarger piece of material. Both are relevantto metalcutters and manufacturingtechnology suppliers.

Under FP6, UK Universities andcompanies are involved in developingMNT manufacturing technology in ametalcutting sense, as Machineryhighlighted in its July 2006 issue, page 22(available at www.machinery.co.uk –

search for ‘MASMICRO’). TheMASMICRO project aims to develop amachine tool capable of attaining 50 nmaccuracy with 5 nm repeatability. Inaddition, it aims to make that machineperhaps one-tenth of the size of anythingthat has gone before, at one-tenth of theprice. It must also remain suitable formass production of micro componentswithin small and medium enterprises(SMEs) in the manufacturing sector.

The four-year project started in July2004 and is led by Brunel University. Thefocus is on developing multi-axismachine tools capable of producingcomplex 3D geometries to nanoscaletolerances. Two types of machines arebeing developed – a 5-axis machine(essentially like a conventionalmachining centre); and a 3-axis testbench (that resembles a turning centre,in principle).

At Cardiff University, Engis UK isinvolved with micro mould tooldevelopments for the production of non-silicon parts. The techniques which theUniversity project team are using tocreate the micro-moulds from largerpieces of material include micro-laser,micro-EDM and micro-milling on veryhigh purity mono-crystalline amorphousmetal compounds. Atanas Ivanov,manager of the micro-tooling projectsays that using these methods the teamhas broken the “10 micron barrier” and is

working on 5 micron inserts andchannels. However, the machiningtechniques can leave debris on themould surfaces and within the ultra-finemould cavities, resulting in potentiallysignificant problems with de-moulding –and even the need to scrap the mould ifthe moulding cannot be ejected. Aneffective mould cleaning solution thatcan be used in extremely fine channelswithout causing any loss of surface finishis necessary and Engis UK offered theproject a solution in the form of itsMegasonic nozzle.

Just last month, Materials Solutionsopened on the University of Birminghamcampus and is employing additivemanufacturing with an EOSINT M 270direct metal laser-sintering machine.

The EOS equipment (pictured, left)will be used to develop processexperience in additive manufacture ofsolid, functional components from hightemperature alloy powders, particularlynickel – and titanium-based – primarilyfor aerospace and automotiveapplications. Prototypes, test parts andtraining will be offered to manufacturingcompanies, enabling faster design andshorter time to market for new products.

TOES IN THE WATERAnd the online MNT supplier directoryalso lists a number of engineeringtechnology/service providers familiar toMachinery readers who are aligningthemselves with MNT activities, so tospeak: CMM specialist Carl Zeiss; DeckelGrinders (Kern micro machine toolsspecialist); mould tool designers EuroMoulds and Euromould; sub-contractorLasers Are Us; grinding machine makerLoadpoint; high precisiongrinding/turning machine specialistCranfield Precision; MCP ToolingTechnologies; Newall MeasurementSystems; sub-contractor OxfordEngineering; laser source specialistRofin-Baasel UK; measurement specialistTaylor Hobson Precision; and UnimaticEngineers. They are among the 643companies, either exclusively or partly,manufacturing or developing productsbased on micro and nanotechnology or

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February 2007 � www.machinery.co.uk