Thanks to the special features of the UV-LIGA micromoulding technology, mould inserts can be produced with one or more high precision cavities. The mould cavity obtained by electroforming offers hardness and wear resistance, allowing a wide variety of polymers to be injected.
Mould cavities made using UV-LIGA technology can have very complex geometries with some extremely delicate microstructures, especially for microfluidic applications. This technology not only permits great design freedom but also guarantees high precision in the final geometry of the mould cavity. Precision holes for ejector pins, as well as housings for positioning pins, can be easily integrated.
The dimensions of the micromoulds vary from one application to another. In medical applications, imprints can be as large as 2000 mm². In contrast, quartz movement components can be up to 10 times smaller. The thinness of the walls or channels can be as small as 30 µm. The thickness of the process can reach a maximum of 1 mm.
Most of our micromoulds are made from electroformed nickel with a hardness of 550 HV. They guarantee good wear-resistance and geometrical compliance when undergoing hundreds of thousands of injection moulding cycles. Biocompatible coatings are currently being studied.
"Carl F. Bucherer would like to thank Mimotec for their professionalism. For several years now, we have entrusted them with the manufacture of numerous technical components, requiring extreme precision, and this to our great satisfaction. Whether it be in terms of project management, the quality of the components or the deadlines, they have always met our expectations. Thanks to their know-how, we were able to incorporate CLR-Liga technology into our components to avoid any risk of counterfeiting."
"We have forged a partnership of trust and excellence with Mimotec around the design of Audemars Piguet's 24-carat galvanic gold sconces. Together, we pushed the limits of our respective expertise by investing in this project of unparalleled complexity. Their perseverance, technical skills and sense of human relations enabled us to move forward serenely during this long-term project."