The 'micro' is fashionable

The project is part of the line of 'Microtechnologies and ultra-precision' research of the technological centre dedicated to the development of machines, systems and manufacturing processes for parts with dimensions and submicron tolerances.

Led by Ideko-ik4 and grouping a consortium of 28 companies and technology centres of Spain, Germany, Holland, Austria, Poland and United Kingdom, the project has lasted for 51 months and has had a budget of 9 million euros co-financed by the European Economic Community and the Ministry of science and innovation.

Of manufacturing processes aimed at the Microtechnology require machine tool with submicron precision that manufacture components and devices increasingly more precise and smaller. The practical applications of these developments are centered mainly in the field of Medicine (dental, orthopedic, optical, etc.), molds, aeronautics, automotive, renewable energies, etc., and its fundamental objective is that the machine tools sector can technologically equipped to these companies to make them more competitive and thuscontribute to the sustainability of economic growth in the European Union. This project will allow the SMEs, which account for 90% of the market of machine tools, to open new avenues of business and offer innovative solutions to European and international level.

There currently is no manufacturer in the Spanish State that is capable of developing and manufacturing this type of machinery, so this is the first milestone towards the creation of a new sector which presents great expectations of market. Here is part of the project developed for the manufacture of a microfresadora of ultra-precision, project in which Ideko-IK4 together with Soraluce designed manufactured and developed the first microfresadora of the State with precision of positioning submicrometric for application of Microtechnologies that has benefited from the contribution of the Government of Spain through its Singular strategic projects program.

A microfresadora is composed of a highly repetitive and mechanism needed with which to manufacture parts with submicrométricos details. Startup of material is produced by cutting through tools of micrometer-size, for which a head turn capable of printing speeds above 100,000 revolutions per minute is necessary. All this while maintaining accuracy that limits the eccentricity of rotation values of the order of a thousandth of a millimeter. Currently, Ideko-IK4 is in the final validation of the machine, novelty by precision and capacity at the national level. The microfresadora has been assembled and tested in the laboratory of ultra-precision technology center and will be on display at the BIEMH 2010.

All at level Nano

The general structure is made of granite, like the ultra-precision metrological equipment, which allows a great stability against environmental variations. The guidance of mobile cars is through air mattresses that allow to obtain micrometric rectitudes and displacement in increments of fractions of thousandths of a millimeter. And finally the drive is entrusted to a linear motor of last generation that has succeeded in overcoming the typical problems such as positional instability, warming of structure and magnetic attraction. Finally, the rules of capture of the position of the car are also prototypes of a new generation developed by Fagor, being able to record increases in position around 10 nm. In the case of the car where is situated the piece to mechanise has opted for a solution of friction 'zero' where all the active elements that need connection to the control of the machine are supported by the fixed structure. Thus, the resolution and precision in the positioning of the shaft is of nanometric, all levels without prejudice to achieve sufficient capacity of court and speeds and accelerations to be developed by the microfresadora.