A structured approach to integrate MEMS and Precision Engineering methods

Two different kinds of manufacturing technologies are used to produce micro systems or micro structures on macro-scale parts. MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) are produced by using bottom up techniques such as lithography, etching and bonding, which were adopted from well established microelectronic manufacturing processes. Precision Engineering systems apply a top-down approach and use very precise versions of conventional manufacturing techniques such as milling, turning or powder injection molding to produce micro-mechanical parts. At the present time, both technologies face the challenge of long iterative product development cycles before the functionality of the product and the set-up of the production system can be verified. A structured, systematic, and rational design approach including the verification of both the product's functionality and its efficient manufacturability is necessary to enable the fast development and cost-effective production of so-called killer applications. Even though both approaches offer complementary advantages concerning the range of materials, design flexibility and the capability to produce parts in small and large volumes, there have been no attempts to integrate the two technologies up to now. Through the framework of axiomatic design, this paper proposes a structured approach to derive and simultaneously verify micro systems and the necessary manufacturing processes by applying and integrating both Precision Engineering and MEMS techniques.