Tri-axial micro probe with isotropic mechanical behavior for the transfer into the industrial micro coordinate measuring technology (3-MiTiK)

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Andreas Dietzel; Dr.-Ing. Karin Kniel
• Subject Area: Microsystems ; Measurement Systems ; Production Automation and Assembly Technology
• Term: from 2015 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 275023116

Despite years of research in the field of micro coordinate measurement technology, there are currently no reliable solutions that fully meet the increasing demands of metrology for industry and research in terms of measurement accuracy, probing of three-dimensional structures and robustness. The aim of this knowledge transfer project is the joint development, micro fabrication and testing of a tri-axial micro-probe with isotropic mechanical properties for use in a coordinate measuring machine for complete and highly accurate measurements of 3D microstructures and micro components. In order to create the conditions for successful knowledge transfer, collaborations with transfer partners at two different levels of the value chain, namely the micro-technology and the CMM systems are essential. Application partners of the project are therefore on the one hand the very young startup company 5microns, whose expertise lies in the field of microtechnology, and on the other hand the company Klingelnberg which produces and sells CMMs for gear metrology. The central research hypotheses of the project can be described as follows: 1. With an embodiment of the mechanical force transmission, which is largely independent of the piezoresistive sensing, new micro probe designs are enabled, which have both a mechanical isotropy and an increased robustness without compromising the measurement sensitivity. 2. With further development of the processes of Electrical Discharge Machining especially in the direction Electro-Chemical Machining and One Pulse Electrical Discharge much smaller probing spheres, namely with 50 micron diameter and shape deviations < 1 micron and a roughness in the range of several 10 nm are achievable. 3. New integration approaches using a mechanical interface for the micro probe, a wireless signal transmission and a microenvironment with a jig for micro-components allow that new micro probes can be used in various CMMs also commercially available and can be successfully transferred to industrial use. With these improvements, the prototype of a more robust, more accurate, better and more versatile integrable microprobe is available, which can be the starting point of a commercial product development. In addition, an application of this new tactile metrology in biomechanics and therefrom resulting new research questions will be considered together with the transfer partner 5microns.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants (Transfer Project)
• Application Partner: 5microns GmbH; Klingelnberg GmbH