{"title":"Integrated, multidisciplinary approaches for micro-manufacturing research, and new opportunities and challenges to micro-manufacturing","authors":"Y. Qin","doi":"10.1177/2397791417750350","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Increased demands on micro-products and miniaturised systems/devices have been a main driver to the rapid growth of the interest in research in micro- and nano-manufacturing. Currently, micro-manufacturing research is bridging ‘nano-manufacturing’ and ‘macro-manufacturing’ and hence, helping to transform nanotechnology into real-world and affordable products, for which it is developing multi-length scale and multi-materials manufacturing capabilities. It is also playing more roles in helping transforming traditional industry and products to more competitive ones. Nevertheless, besides being shifted from ‘process focus’ to ‘market/product’ driven research and technological developments addressing production capability, product quality, pilot production lines and sustainability, there is clearly a need for micro-manufacturing research to adopt integrated, multidisciplinary approaches to address development-related issues concurrently, in order to shorten the development cycles for product realisation. It is believed that to transfer laboratory processes to industrial applications within much shorter timescales, the associated issues should be addressed with collaborations among different, relevant disciplines. European Union–funded integrated projects have demonstrated such efforts. Product development–centred approaches brought in expertise and resources in product design, material, analysis, testing, tools, machines, automation and manufacturing system integration as well as in life-cycle engineering to address the development needs. At the same time, due to ever updated interests in new products and enabling manufacturing technologies with a view to meeting increased demands from, for example, healthcare, on quality of life, for wealth creation, social engagement and sustainable development, there are new challenges to micro- and nano-manufacturing research, which also suggest tremendous opportunities.","PeriodicalId":44789,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part N-Journal of Nanomaterials Nanoengineering and Nanosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.2000,"publicationDate":"2018-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"6","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part N-Journal of Nanomaterials Nanoengineering and Nanosystems","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/2397791417750350","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"NANOSCIENCE & NANOTECHNOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 6
Abstract
Increased demands on micro-products and miniaturised systems/devices have been a main driver to the rapid growth of the interest in research in micro- and nano-manufacturing. Currently, micro-manufacturing research is bridging ‘nano-manufacturing’ and ‘macro-manufacturing’ and hence, helping to transform nanotechnology into real-world and affordable products, for which it is developing multi-length scale and multi-materials manufacturing capabilities. It is also playing more roles in helping transforming traditional industry and products to more competitive ones. Nevertheless, besides being shifted from ‘process focus’ to ‘market/product’ driven research and technological developments addressing production capability, product quality, pilot production lines and sustainability, there is clearly a need for micro-manufacturing research to adopt integrated, multidisciplinary approaches to address development-related issues concurrently, in order to shorten the development cycles for product realisation. It is believed that to transfer laboratory processes to industrial applications within much shorter timescales, the associated issues should be addressed with collaborations among different, relevant disciplines. European Union–funded integrated projects have demonstrated such efforts. Product development–centred approaches brought in expertise and resources in product design, material, analysis, testing, tools, machines, automation and manufacturing system integration as well as in life-cycle engineering to address the development needs. At the same time, due to ever updated interests in new products and enabling manufacturing technologies with a view to meeting increased demands from, for example, healthcare, on quality of life, for wealth creation, social engagement and sustainable development, there are new challenges to micro- and nano-manufacturing research, which also suggest tremendous opportunities.
期刊介绍:
Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part N-Journal of Nanomaterials Nanoengineering and Nanosystems is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published since 2004 by SAGE Publications on behalf of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The journal focuses on research in the field of nanoengineering, nanoscience and nanotechnology and aims to publish high quality academic papers in this field. In addition, the journal is indexed in several reputable academic databases and abstracting services, including Scopus, Compendex, and CSA's Advanced Polymers Abstracts, Composites Industry Abstracts, and Earthquake Engineering Abstracts.