Microassembly station with controlled environment

With the trend of miniaturization of mechatronics products, the demands on microassembly increase substantially. Due to the scaling effect, handling and planning in microassembly is considerably different from those in conventional assembly. One important issue is to study how the environmental parameters will shape the scaling effect and consequently the handling of micro parts. A controlled environment will enable a better understanding of the handling tasks in microassembly and consequently provide a necessary tool for the development of model-based microassembly methods. Moreover, environmental parameters can affect the performance of microassembly system. This paper will present our progress of developing a microassembly station with controlled environment. The microassembly station includes a microassembly platform that is able to mount various tools such as microscopes, mobile stages, micro grippers, etc. The microassembly platform is installed in a controlled environment where temperature and humidity can be controlled, and mechanical vibration is damped. Such a microassembly station facilitates researching microassembly methods and techniques under different environmental conditions. Early study of the effects of environmental parameters to microassembly system and pick-and-place operation is reported as well.