Micro Manufacturing Technology Laboratory (MMT), is the technical support institute of the Complex Microstructure Processing Technology Innovation Center, which is a national innovation center and the director institute of Chinese Precision Assembly Committee of CIP-CMES (Chinese Institute of Production – Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society). We have 11 full-time staff members, including 2 professors, 4 associate professors, 2 lecturers, 2 technical officers and 1 postdoc. In addition, Academician Binshi Xu and Academician Weiren Wu have been engaged as consultant professors, and Professor Kiyoshi Takamasu from the University of Tokyo as anadjunct professor. MMT has over 40 students, consisting of 15 Phd students and 28 master students.
Since 2000, the team has focused on the research of precision/micro manufacturing technology, which integrates research with production needs in various fields. For the first time, we have proposed and made breakthrough in micro high-efficient high-speed reconfigurable turn-milling compound processing equipment, micron/submicron-level high-precision alignment and adjustment technology, flexible automated assembly unit, and 3D integrated modeling with form errors. In addition, MMT has developed the first domestic high-speed precision micro-milling compound machining center, the first ultra-precision turn-milling compound machine tool with nanometer feeding capacity, the first micron-scale flexible automated assembly line for non-silicon MEMS, the first sub-micrometer assembly precision instrument, and the first hybrid machine tool based on milling and pulsed laser deposition. We have been in a leading position in precision assembly theory development, simulation and modeling, and high-pressure hybrid additive and subtractive manufacturing technology. The relevant results of precision micro turn-milling compound processing technology are listed in the One Hundred Process Promotion Project in Twelfth Five-Year Plan of National Defense Science and Technology Industry, and have been widely used in a variety of research fields, such as aerospace, aviation and weapons.
Our current research areas include: precision/micro compound processing technology and equipment, automated-intelligent assembly of precision mechanical system, precision machinery manufacturing theory and performance prediction, and hybrid additive and subtractive manufacturing technology. In recent years, MMT has undertaken 56 national research projects and horizontal cooperation projects, including 973 Program, National Major Program, Special Fund for Scientific Instruments by NSFC (Natural Science Foundation of China)，General Program/Young-Scholar Program funded by NSFC, National Defense Basic Scientific Research Program and General Technology Program of the Ministry of Equipment Development. We have published more than 150 papers, written 4 English/Chinese books，achieved 52 national invention patents, and also won second/third prize for provincial/ministerial scientific and technological progress four times and second prize for Industry-University-Research Innovation Collaboration. In addition, our team has developed 18 precision composite machine tools and flexible automated assembly equipment, which have been applied in many industrial fields.
Based on the concept of openness, tolerance, harmony and innovation, we welcome students and researchers who are interested in our research to join MMT. At the same time, we sincerely hope to seek cooperation with domestic counterparts to make contribution in promoting the development of China’s manufacturing industry.
Research area:
(1) Precision Micro Turn-milling Compound Processing Technology
The research area mainly includes turn-milling compound processing technology and optimization, equipment design for turn-milling compound processing, machining accuracy compensation and control methods, on-site detection, and promotion applicability of turn-milling compound processing technology. The developed 10 compound processing equipment of 5 types have been used in practice by defense institutes.
Figure 1: Compound processing equipment
(2) Automated-intelligent Assembly Technology of Precision/Micro-Electromechanical Structure
The research area mainly includes high-precision alignment technology, reliable clamping and release technology for complex heterogeneous parts, adjustment technology based on vision and force feedback, image processing and rapid identification technology for heterogeneous surface, control system technology for intelligent assembly unit. Multiple high-precision flexible automated assembly equipment and control systems have been developed.
Figure 2: Automated-intelligent assembly system
(3) Precision Machinery Manufacturing Theory and Performance Prediction Technology
The research area mainly includes form error modeling and evaluation for assembly, analysis of nonlinear and non-uniform contact state, and integrated technology of error surface and ideal model in CAD system. The maximum entropy assembly theory for precision mechanical systems has been proposed, and a software for assembly performance prediction analysis considering manufacturing errors has been developed, which lay the foundation for achieving assembly parameters quantization and process optimization.
Figure 3: 3D integrated modeling with form errors
(4) Hybrid Additive and Subtractive Manufacturing Technology
The research area mainly includes the process optimization and modeling technology of deposition process using pulsed laser and wire, the quality control method of laser deposition, the milling characteristics of additively manufactured parts, and the development of hybrid additive and subtractive machine tool. A hybrid machine tool based on milling and pulsed laser deposition has been developed.
Figure 4: Hybrid machine tool based on milling and pulsed laser deposition