Micro-scaled Products Development via Microforming : Deformation Behaviours, Processes, Tooling and its Realization

‘Micro-scaled Products Development via Microforming’ presents state-of-the-art research on microforming processes, and focuses on the development of micro-scaled metallic parts via microforming processes. Microforming refers to the fabrication of microparts via micro-scaled plastic deformation and presents a promising micromanufacturing process. When compared to other micromanufacturing processes, microforming offers advantages such as high productivity and good mechanical properties of the deformed microparts. This book provides extensive and informative illustrations, tables and photos in order to convey this information clearly and directly to readers.

Although the knowledge of macroforming processes is abundant and widely used in industry, microparts cannot be developed by leveraging existing knowledge of macroforming because the size effect presents a barrier to this knowledge transfer. Therefore systematic knowledge of microforming needs to be developed. In tandem with product miniaturization, the demand on microparts has been increased for their wide applications in many industries, including automotive, bio-medical, aerospace and consumer electronics industries. Micromanufacturing technologies have thus become more and more important. This book is intended for postgraduates, manufacturing engineers and professionals working in the areas of manufacturing and materials processing.

Dr. Mingwang FU (M.W. FU) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He received his B.Eng and M.Eng in Materials Science and Engineering from the Northwestern Polytechnic University in Xi'an, China and Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering from the National University of Singapore. Before he went to Singapore for his career development, Dr. Fu was working in China as a faculty member. In 1997, he joined the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology as a Research Fellow/Senior Research Engineer. In 2006, he joined The Hong Kong Polytechnic University as a faculty member. Dr. Fu has been conducting extensive researches on integrated product and process design and development, metal forming technologies, finite element simulation for product design and development, die and mold CAD, ultrafine/nano-structured processing of bulk materials and micro-scaled forming of metallic parts. Dr. Fu is a Senior Member of Society of Manufacturing Engineers and he is also sitting in the Advisory Board of International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology. He has published more than 110 SCI papers in his research areas.

Dr. Wailun CHAN (W.L. CHAN) is a Research Associate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He received his B.Sc with First Class Honor and Ph.D from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Dr. Chan has been working in product design and development, manufacturing process, microforming, materials science and engineering and visualization and analysis of product design using CAD and CAE techniques for many years in different working environments. Dr. Chan has worked as a product designer in industry where he was responsible for development of mobile phone accessories and as a Research Assistant in School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University for research and development of public facilities and inclusive designs for the disabled. After Dr. Chan joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering, he has been involved in various research projects, funded by Hong Kong government, to develop methodologies to support metal-formed product design and development.