With a total budget of £21.5 million, the four-year Masmicro project will develop an integrated production facility for mass-manufacture of miniature and micro-products.
Launched in July 2004, Masmicro is an Integrated Project supported by the European Commission under the Framework Programme 6 (FP6). Co-ordinated by the University of Strathclyde, the consortium consists of 36 partners from 13 EU countries including 18 SMEs.
To-date, manufacture of miniature and micro-products still largely relies on the techniques based on the removal of the materials, either by chemical or mechanical means. The objective of the Masmicro project is to convert miniature and micro-materials into engineering products by high rate plastic deformations. This type of technology will greatly reduce costs and equipment size for the manufacture of miniature and micro components for the electronics, automotive, aerospace, automation and medical sectors. Technologies and systems to be developed will bring technological and organisational measures to realise mass production of miniature and micro-products in a scale that has not been achieved so far. It is estimated that manufacturing cost could be cut down by approximately 40 to 80% depending on component-forms to be produced.
Masmicro intends to generate an integrated solution of miniature/micro manufacturing to the industries by 2008. Such a development will enable to enhance European competitiveness and to maintain a sustainable development of EU miniature/micro industries.
For further information on the Masmicro project visit:
http://www.masmicro.net
