Sains Malaysiana 49(12)(2020): 3065-3072

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2020-4912-18

Rapid Prototyping of Micropillars using Digital Light Process 3D Printing Technique

(Pemprototip Pantas Tiang Mikro menggunakan Teknik Pencetakan Proses Cahaya Digital 3D)

NUR ALIYAH ALWANI MOHD NAZAM, JUMRIL YUNAS*, ABDUL HAFIZ MAT SULAIMAN, MUHAMAD, RAMDZAN BUYONG & AZRUL AZLAN HAMZAH

Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics (IMEN), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Received: 18 August 2020/Accepted: 27 August 2020

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we discuss a technique to fabricate a three-dimensional (3D) printed micropillars structure of microfluidic system. The developed system consists of microchannels, chambers, and micropillars. The creation of arrays of pillars were the focus of the study. The structure is fabricated using a 3D printing technique called Digital Light Process (DLP). In this paper, we examine the potential use of the 3D printing approaches for the fabrication of microfilter and micromixer devices integrated with microfluidic channels. Our 3D printing process shows that micropillars with diameters between 200 and 400 µm can be fabricated using a DLP 3D printer machine by optimizing the preparation process and post processing parameters. Later, SEM analysis shows that micropillars with high aspect ratio and straight side wall were achieved. The DLP 3D printer is the most suitable and reliable technique that can produce the smallest dimension compared to other types of 3D printer that shows a promising method for the rapid prototyping of microfluidic devices for biomedical application.

Keywords: 3D printer; digital light process; microfluidic; microfilter and mixer; micropillars; rapid prototyping

ABSTRAK

Dalam makalah ini kami membincangkan teknik memfabrikasi struktur tiga dimensi (3D) sistem mikrofluida. Sistem yang dibangunkan terdiri daripada saluran mikro, ruang dan tiang mikro. Penciptaan tiang susunan adalah fokus kajian. Struktur tersebut dibuat menggunakan teknik percetakan 3D yang disebut sebagai Proses Cahaya Digital (DLP). Dalam makalah ini, kami meneliti potensi penggunaan pendekatan pencetakan 3D untuk pembuatan peranti turas mikro dan pencampur mikro yang disatukan dengan saluran mikrofluida. Proses pencetakan 3D kami menunjukkan bahawa tiang mikro dengan diameter antara 200 dan 400 µm dapat dibuat menggunakan mesin pencetak 3D DLP dengan mengoptimumkan proses penyediaan dan parameter pasca pemprosesan. Kemudian, analisis SEM menunjukkan bahawa tiang mikro dengan nisbah aspek tinggi dan dinding sisi lurus dapat dicapai. Pencetak 3D DLP adalah teknik yang paling sesuai dan dipercayai boleh menghasilkan dimensi terkecil berbanding jenis pencetak 3D yang lain dan menunjukkan kaedah ini yang menjanjikan untuk pemprototaip pantas peranti mikrofluida untuk aplikasi bioperubatan.

Kata kunci: Mikrofluida; penapis mikro dan pengadun; pencetak 3D; proses cahaya digital; tiang mikro

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*Corresponding author; email: jumrilyunas@ukm.edu.my