New concept for micro-manipulation systems: a practical experience

The "micro-world" is a very interesting case of study both for production and research reasons. The use of micro-products and components has had a heavy increase in the last two decades. The manipulation of micro-elements has then become an important need to be satisfied in order to complete production cycles or allow the handling of these components. This paper focuses on a particular case study belonging to the bio-mechanical field. The key point, trigger of the research, has been the need to define a system capable of handling a specific bio-component during a part of its production cycle. In the particular application, the manipulation device has to follow strict requirements of precision, accuracy, and delicacy, because of the dimensions and deformability of the bio-component. The research then has started with an exhaustive analysis of the state of the art, followed by the design and the practical realization of a manipulator matching the specific implementation but whose characteristics could be employed also for other applications. Thanks to the modularity of the design, the device can be easily adapted to any circular micro-element requiring precision and no damaging effects during its manufacturing, motion, or positioning phase.