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Manufacturing Technology Portfolio
 
Microscale Molding
Molding small, intricate parts in great detail
has several challenges, such as retaining details and demolding
without breaking the part. Veriflex®,
CRG’s shape memory polymer, can aid in the molding process
of small parts. A sheet of Veriflex and the original part
are placed into a vacuum bag, heated above Veriflex’s
activation temperature, and then cooled. The result is an
exact negative of the original part, retaining all details,
imprinted in the polymer. This mold can be used to form new
microscale parts.
The demolding process, which involves heating
Veriflex to return it to its memorized shape (a flat sheet),
releases the new part gently. The figure above shows a microscopic
image of the detail retained in a watch gear molded with Veriflex.
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