Title: Functional analysis for micro mechanical systems

Authors: G. Fantoni, Arnaud De Grave, Hans Norgaard Hansen

Addresses: Department of Mechanical, Nuclear and Production Engineering, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno Pisano, 25/B, I-56126 Pisa, Italy. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering (DTU Mekanik), Produktionstorvet, Technical University of Denmark, Building 427S, 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering (DTU Mekanik), Produktionstorvet, Technical University of Denmark, Building 427S, 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark

Abstract: Functional analysis is a powerful tool to describe and represent both macro and micro devices. Functional analysis is used in the paper as a tool for investigating the miniaturisation issues and for highlighting the critical parts or features that mainly are affected by downscaling. A systematic method, based mainly on functional analysis, and a series of additional tools are illustrated by analysing the design of a new micro fluidic system starting from the corresponding macro product. The functional analysis seems to be a good tool as well for novice designers as for expert designers facing up with design issues at different scales. The micro world introduces micro-specificities that have to be considered as additional constraints to design.

Keywords: micromanufacturing; microengineering; scale effect; functional analysis; microassembly; micromechanical systems; miniaturisation; microfluidics; design engineering; design process.

DOI: 10.1504/IJDE.2010.040522

International Journal of Design Engineering, 2010 Vol.3 No.4, pp.355 - 373

Published online: 01 Jun 2011 *

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