FRP Title: Manufacturing Processes, Equipment and Controls for the Production of Polymer-based Microfluidic Devices
Duration: July 2005 - June 2013
Principal Co-Investigators:
Singapore
Prof Yue Chee Yoon (NTU), Prof Yoon Soon Fatt (NTU), Prof Andrew Nee (NUS), Assoc Prof Tor Shu Beng (NTU), Prof Lam Yee Cheong (NTU)
MIT
Prof David E Hardt, Prof Lallit Anand, Prof Kamal Youcef-Toumi, Prof Duane S Boning
Research Objectives and Progress:
The MST FRP 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. The FRP is structured along the following three closely related tasks:
- Materials and process mechanics – development of engineering-science based processing procedures for producing polymer-based micro- and nano-structures
- Equipment, tooling and automation – development of methods for the design of high-throughput machines for micro-casting, micro-forging and micro-injection
- Metrology and process control – development of methods for ensuring optimal process performance in a largescale, high-volume, high-flexibility manufacturing environment
As the research develops, the MST FRP initiated a new task entitled MST Research Factory or μFac to allow for the integration of all of the work in the above tasks into a working demonstration of device production.