G. Popovic

Gripping tools for handling and assembly of microcomponents

In this paper a vacuum gripper for handling of microstructures in MST will be presented as well as the design, production and testing of two types of mechanical micro-grippers used for handling and assembly of microcomponents. One of them is with the possibility of optical force sensing.

Development of a totally implantable hearing aid

In this paper we described briefly the activities done in the frame of development of a system for contactless detection of the vibrations of the middle ear ossicle. The system has been constructed in the form of a fiber-optic vibrometer, which can be used as the microphone of a totally implantable hearing aid. The current state of the art is described and the initial measurements are presented and commented upon.

Micro torque measurement based on the cable brake principle

This paper describes a micro torque measurement device based on the cable brake principle. The miniature cable brake permits the measurement of torque produced by miniature motors in the /spl mu/Nm range with a resolution of 0.1 /spl mu/Nm and rotational speeds up to 50,000 rpm. The relative error is about 7.5 %. Work on further system miniaturization for application on micromotors is in progress.

The measurement of minimotors and micromotors torque characteristic

Two miniaturized torque sensors, based on cable brake principle and so-called measurement cross principle, have been developed. Design principles and the production process are described. Experimental results show fair conformity with technical data for minimotors.

Principles of Torque Measurements for Rotating Microsystems

In this paper, the torque-rotational speed characteristics of rotating iicrosystems and the principles involved are examined. Furthermore, some devices on the market and some realisations in the scope of TMR-proiect “Handling and Assembly of Functionally Adapted Microcomponents, HAFAM” are presented.

New types of silicon torsion microspring and their characterization

A number of methods for torque measurements in the macro domain exist, but only some of them can be scaled down to micro dimensions. This paper describes one method for measuring very small moments which is based on the measurement of torque by using silicon micro springs. Three different designs of torsion micro springs have been produced. The experimentally measured results show the possibility of torque measurement in the sub-(mu) Nm range.

Development of microactuators for tactile graphic displays (State of the art and recent efforts)

An overview of the state of the art principles that can be used for actuators in high-resolution tactile graphic displays is presented. Existing actuators used in commercially available tactile displays (electromagnetic or piezoelectric) have several disadvantages, and are not suitable for high resolution graphic displays. The actuators based on some of the presented, non-conventional principles in this paper can be smaller, cheaper, and more reliable.

Mechanical gripper system for handling and assembly in MEMS

Nowadays the application of specially designed grippers in micro technology is an important topic and a necessity for the industrialisation. In order to transfer the manual assembly of micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) to an automatic assembly process, specially designed handling tools with sensing capabilities are required. Keeping the dimensions of the microparts in mind the handling and assembly process requires supervision with microscopes, positioning with high precision and application of specially designed tools. This paper describes a miniaturised mechanical gripper system with specially designed grippers and with implemented force-feedback for general microassembly purpose. The described grippers are fabricated from spring steel by wire electro-discharge-machining (EDM). The design of the microgripping system allows handling of pieces with sizes from 10 micrometers up to 2 mm.

Low-Cost Visual Control for Handling and Assembly of Microsystems

An environment capable of on-line visual quality and motion control is presented. The resolution of the visual system is better than 3μm. The objects are held in a flexible paletting system and need not lie on predefined position. The data from the visual system may be sent to the motor control and can correct the position of the gripping system. The visual motion and quality control actively take a part in the control loop of the setup.

Microgripper for handling and assembly in MEMS produced by SU-8 technology

Some of the most important steps in manufacturing microelectromechnical systems (MEMS) are their assembly and handling. With handling we mean the way we can safely, without damages, pick microparts of any shape or any kind of material, rotate them to the desired orientation and finally position them precisely on or connect them with other microparts. For these purposes, specially designed tools - microgrippers - are required. This paper presents the design, development, fabrication method using the SU8 technology and post-fabrication processes with the goal to obtain a new type of micro-gripper. This micro-gripper was produced for a handling and assembly station developed at the IMFT (TU Wien). To investigate the obtained structures we performed a