The application of Van der Waals forces in micro-material handling

• Main Authors: Matope, S., Van Der Merwe, A.
• Other Authors: Central University of Technology, Free State, Bloemfontein
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: Journal for New Generation Sciences, Vol 8, Issue 1: Central University of Technology, Free State, Bloemfontein 2015
• Subjects: Micro-material handling; Van der Waals forces; Micro-work piece; Micro-gripper; Picking and placing
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11462/554

Published Article === This paper investigates the challenges of employing Van der Waals forces in micro-material handling since these forces are dominant in micro-material handling systems. The problems include the creation of a dust-free environment, accurate measurement of the micro-force, and the efficient picking and placing of micro-work pieces. The use of vacuum suction, micro-gripper's surface roughness, geometrical configuration and material type are presented as alternatives to overcome the challenges. An atomic force microscope is proposed for the accurate measurement of the Van der Waals force between the gripper and the micro-work piece.