Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Laboratory for Alternative Technologies

In the Alternative Technologies Laboratory we focus our research on technologies and process chains for micro manufacturing, including electrical discharge micro machining (EDM), maskless lithography, micro injection moulding, additive technologies such as fused filament fabrication and mask projection stereolithography.

Important activities are also metrology, sensing, monitoring and process control using microcontrollers such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi, which allow us to build peripheral systems for microfluidic devices. In addition to microfluidic systems, process models are being developed using numerical modelling, physical modelling, cellular automata, data analysis including machine vision, and component design using 3D models.

Figure 1: CFD modeling of flows within microchannels, design optimization for micromixing, micromixer manufacturing and testing.

Figure 2: Process chain for polymer replication of microfluidic platforms, tooling, microinjection moulding simulations and process parameter optimization.

Figure 3: Development of method for on-line prediction of electrode wear in the process of micro EDM milling.

Publications

  • VALENTINČIČ, Joško, et al. Uncertainty of the electrode wear on-machine measurements in micro EDM milling. 2021, DOI: 10.1016/j.jmapro.2021.01.021
  • JERMAN, Marko et al. Observation of cryogenically cooled ice particles inside the high-speed water jet. 2021, DOI: 10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2020.116947
  • VALENTINČIČ, Joško et al. Characterization of a custom-made digital light processing stereolithographic printer based on a slanted groove micromixer geometry. Journal of micro- and nano-manufacturing. 2020, DOI: 10.1115/1.4046044
  • SABOTIN, Izidor et al. Technical model of micro electrical discharge machining (EDM) milling suitable for bottom grooved micromixer design optimization. 2020, DOI: 10.3390/mi11060594
  • MAURIZI, Marco et al. Dynamic measurements using FDM 3D-printed embedded strain sensors. 2019, DOI: 10.3390/s19122661
  • VALENTINČIČ, Joško et al. Low cost printer for DLP stereolithography. 2017, DOI: 10.5545/sv-jme.2017.4591.
  • VALENTINČIČ, Joško, et al. Design, simulation, and injection moulding of a microreactor baseplate. 2016, DOI: 10.1115/1.4033710
  • TRISTO, Gianluca et al. Real time power consumption monitoring for energy efficiency analysis in micro EDM milling. 2015, DOI: 10.1007/s00170-014-6725-3
  • SABOTIN, Izidor et al. Two-step design protocol for patterned groove micromixers. 2013, DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2012.09.013