A Comprehensive Micro-assembly Process Oriented Methodology Supporting the Realisation of Evolvable Micro Production Systems

Abstract

The implementation of Evolvable Production Systems (EPS) is one of the promising approaches to cope with the market and process requirements for production nowadays. Rapid changes, minor batch sizes, cost pressure, and ever more aspects of sustainability may give an impression of the situation system integrators have to face. A similar and in some areas much more complex situation can be seen in micro system technology production. Especially hybrid micro systems are characterised by sometimes complex fabrication chains reacting heavily on induced changes. This is shown by example of a micro-optical sensor system. The assembly process as the key fabrication process of such a hybrid micro system is outlined, and some approaches supporting the development of EPS realised during the EU-IP EUPASS are shown. A closer look at the process sequence for the sensor after a process step change shows that there is a need for a more comprehensive methodology which comprises not only the view on the manipulation sequences and/or the design for X approach but also pure part manufacturing coming from the front-end. Finally, the concept of the comprehensive micro-assembly process-oriented methodology for evolvable micro production systems is shortly outlined.