A micropipe fabrication process

Abstract

A novel process for fabricating a micropipe has been developed. This process is based on electrochemical deposition of metal onto a core or a microelectrode which is prepared by WEDG (wire electrodischarge grinding). This procedure is simple and the entire process can be carried out automatically. Using this method, one can produce a high-accuracy micropipe with a length 100 times its inner diameter. A 3-mm-long micropipe of 23- mu m I.D. and 186- mu m O.D. with extremely high precision of straightness, roundness, and concentricity was successfully manufactured. Owing to the advantages of WEDG, the inner and outer shapes of the micropipe can be controlled independently, and produceable shapes include various irregular sections, such as triangular, rectangular, and polygonal sections.<>