Artificial Defects
Container Closure Integrity Testing Here we have three examples of creating artificial defects in parts. The first two serve as controls for Container Closure Integrity Testing (CCIT). The first example…
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Tube Cutting Laser System
Precision Microfab designs and builds custom micro-manufacturing systems that support high-volume production of components for a wide range of industries. Working with Spectubular Technologies, Precision Microfab created a fully-automated robotic…
3-D Bio-Printing System
Precision MicroFab™ designed and built a dedicated 3-D bio-printing system using a 193nm excimer laser. We integrated four subsystems to ensure that the cells can be deposited in a precise…
Micro-Soldering Fixture
Precision MicroFab designed and manufactured an entirely new proof-of-concept micro-wire fixture device to facilitate a micro-soldering process. This micro-positioning device will clamp and manipulate the wire leads of the quad…
Laser Ablate Parylene Coating
Our client sent us gold plated pins coated with parylene for selective removal. We carefully stripped off the parylene in a small window by ablating the coating with our deep…
R&D for Assembly of Micro-manufactured parts
Precision MicroFab worked closely with a medical device manufacturer to build a microscopic prototype clevis fastener system. It consists of three minuscule parts- the clevis, clevis pin and tang. The…
Quantum Particle Nozzle
The Joint Quantum Institute at the University of Maryland needed an array of 480 holes, 50 microns in diameter, an inch deep, all pointing to a focal point 27 cm…
Die Drilling Production Laser
Precision MicroFab™ designed, manufactured and installed an entirely new production-level laser system to drill diamond carbide and thermally stable diamonds. This system replaced a legacy system and considerably reduced run…
James Webb Catenary Cable
Congratulations to NASA, NGC and ManTech on the successful deployment of the James Webb Space Telescope, especially unfurling the sunshield. The James Webb will replace the Hubble Space Telescope and…
Quantar Sensor
Precision MicroFab™ was contacted by the Heliophysics Science Division from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center to develop a complex hole array drilled into a domed surface. The Goddard Space Flight…
Linear fiber ferrule
Precision MicroFab worked with NASA to build a better fiber ferrule that would be implemented in one of their newest sensors. Light enters the fiber optic cable through a close…
Micro-molding
This is a micro-mold of a micro-fluidic mixer suitable for high volume production by hot embossing and cast silicone methods. The part was cut and joined via laser. The channels…
Micro-channels in sapphire
This micro-channel, laser milled into sapphire, is 90 µm deep by 75 µm wide. Note the square profile and flat bottom shown in the end view. If you’d like more…
Micro-welding tube
We use lasers to micro-weld and micro-solder at a very small scale. These micrographs show a 0.900 mm stainless steel tube with a 0.150 mm wall thickness. Precision MicroFab clamped…
Micro-soldering
These 50 µm wide leads are laser soldered onto a thin metalized layer deposited on a ceramic substrate. If you’d like more information on this project or if you’re interested…
Micro-hole array
This micrograph shows an array of holes laser drilled entirely through a 1.0 mm thick microscope slide. The hole diameters are 26-29 µm at the top and taper down to…
MEMS Sensor
These sensors were cut from 25 µm thick MetGlas 2826MB for Dr. Grimes at Penn State University. The tabs are joined to the main body via 75 µm wide struts.…
Micro-drilling glass
For this project, Precision MicroFab drilled a hole array in 500 μm thick borosilicate glass using an ArF excimer laser with a wavelength of 193 nm. Each hole had a…
Micro-device design and build
Precision MicroFab specializes in the design and manufacture of micro-devices for the medical device, life sciences, microelectronics and aerospace industries. Here are two examples: Optical attenuators for the International Space…
Micro-channels
In these two projects, Precision MicroFab milled micro-channels in polycarbonate. The top image shows the hemispherical cross section of the micro-channels. Precision MicroFab also drilled via holes for inlet and…
Micro G-force sensor
This micro G-force sensor, designed to measure microscopic G forces in an aerospace application, was cut from 25 μm thick aluminum. The smallest section of the spring is just 30…
Laser welding plastic
For this project, Precision MicroFab welded plastic for a cell phone display. To create this lap weld, we used an infrared laser and some specialized fixturing to transmit through a…
Laser welding metal
This video shows components made from a sintering process, laser welded together: The weld bead is 100 μm wide and 2 mm long. The welds were completed with minimal oxidation…
Blind micro-holes in sapphire
For this project, which was intended for a fiber optic application, we drilled a series of five by five blind micro-hole arrays in a sapphire wafer using an ArF excimer…
25 micron hole array
This hole array was created in stainless steel using an infrared laser. The material was 12 μm thick, and each hole had a diameter of 25 μm. The tolerance for…
When Things Go Wrong
At Precision MicroFab, we’re on the cutting edge of what’s possible in terms of micro-manufacturing and fabrication. Sometimes things go awry. Here are some examples: 500 μm triangular divots For…
Micro-milling
Precision MicroFab has micro-milled a large number of projects for a variety of applications, including diode mounts and fiber optic arrays. Working with the NASA Goddard Photonics Group, Precision Microfab…
Silicon wafer cutting
Precision MicroFab has worked with a number of clients to machine irregular shapes in silicon wafers. Our infrared fiber lasers can create these features with knife-edge quality, with minimal kerf…
Probe tip shaping
Precision MicroFab specializes in shaping vertical test probes, generally used for running electrical tests on integrated circuits. On this project, the probe tip had to scrub an oxide layer off…
Micro-nozzles
Precision MicroFab has manufactured micro-nozzles using a variety of materials. The top photo at right shows a 50 μm micro-nozzle in a sapphire disc. The disc is 5 mm in…