| Abstract [eng] |
In recent years, various technologies dedicated to the formation of micro- and nanostructures have been intensively developed. Microstructure, which is a structure that requires highly precise manufacturing solutions, poses challenges in its development due to the current shortcomings of microstructure production technologies. The hot embossing technology is one of the methods which allows for the rapid formation of structures at relatively low costs. The key advantages of the hot embossing technology are a low number of defects and the ability to choose among different materials. However, it suffers from a disadvantage, specifically, residual stresses. When the hot embossing technology is employed, the following thermoplastics are most commonly used to form the microstructure: polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN). To improve the hot embossing technology by reducing the forming force, time, and temperature, researchers create a piezoelectric transducer which would generate ultrasonic vibrations. It has been found that the vibrations produced by ultrasonics can reduce the contact pressure time and force while maintaining the same forming temperature. In this study, it was decided to replace the piezoelectric transducer with a magnetostrictive transducer. The improved transducer would not only allow for the formation of structures at higher temperatures but would also eliminate the need for an additional heating element which generates a significant amount of heat during the process, thus optimising the device. |
