A methodology for the selection of micro assembly techniques

Problem statement: The study addressed the problem of selecting the appropriate microassembly techniques according to the micro-part features. Actually, in the micro-domain, the choice of the correct assembly technique is highly dependent on the micro-part characteristics such as shape, geometry and material. Approach: Since there was an incomplete and unstructured knowledge about the micro-assembly, the study proposed a Decision Support System (DSS) as solution for assisting the designer in the correct selection of the most suitable micro-assembly strategies. The first step was establishing a structured correlation between micro-assembly techniques and part features. In particular the phases grasping and releasing were adopted as test-study for their importance in the microassembly process. The second step was the set up of a multistage model for the selection of the grasping-releasing technique and the implementation of the model in an Expert System as a set of rules. Results: The DSS was tested on some common micro-parts producing a scored list of selected grasping-releasing methods. Conclusion: The DSS proved quite valuable in the selection and the scoring of the micro-assembly principles that suit specific applications.