Micro dispensing is a specialized technology that involves precisely controlling the release of extremely small volumes of liquid or paste. This technique focuses on handling fluid amounts typically less than one microliter, ensuring accurate dosage and placement. It is becoming increasingly relevant as various technical areas continue to miniaturize.
The Precision of Micro Dispensing
Micro dispensing manages fluids at microscopic scales, often involving nanoliter or even picoliter volumes. Achieving consistent results at these minute levels requires exceptional accuracy, repeatability, and speed. For example, some systems can dispense droplets as small as 5 picoliters at rates up to 10,000 drops per second. This level of control overcomes significant challenges associated with handling such small volumes, including preventing thread formation or unwanted spreading, and ensuring the material lands in the exact desired location. This technology allows for precise placement and consistent volume control, which minimizes waste and supports miniaturized products.
Common Micro Dispensing Techniques
Micro dispensing employs several methods for precise fluid delivery.
One category is contact dispensing, where the nozzle physically touches the substrate to deposit the fluid. This technique is similar to applying adhesive with a tube, where the material transfers upon contact. While straightforward, it can be slower and may risk damaging delicate parts or result in inconsistent droplet sizes.
Non-contact dispensing, also known as jetting, ejects droplets without the nozzle touching the surface. Piezoelectric dispensing is a common non-contact method that uses a short electrical pulse to rapidly change the volume of a small chamber, forcing a droplet out of a nozzle. This allows for very small, precise microdots, sometimes as low as 20 picoliters. Another non-contact approach involves pneumatic jet dispensers, which use spring-loaded pneumatic valves to create a high-velocity fluid jet. These non-contact methods are preferred for their speed, cleanliness, and ability to handle sensitive materials without contamination risks.
Key Applications Across Industries
Micro dispensing technology is widely used across many industries for its ability to precisely apply materials at small scales. In electronics manufacturing, it is used for applying conductive pastes, encapsulants, and solder paste onto microchips and printed circuit boards (PCBs). For instance, a smartphone camera might involve dozens of different bonding and dispensing applications, where precise adhesive application is important for durability and performance.
The medical and life sciences fields also rely on micro dispensing for applications such as drug delivery systems, diagnostics, and bio-printing. This includes creating microarray spots and fabricating lab-on-a-chip devices, where thousands of experiments can be conducted on a single slide with picoliter accuracy. In the automotive industry, micro dispensing is applied for precise lubrication, sealing, and the application of thermal interface materials in electronic control units (ECUs) and batteries. This ensures the reliability of components like sensors and displays, increasingly integrated into modern vehicles. Consumer goods also benefit, with applications ranging from precise perfume dispensing and microfill in cosmetics to inkjet-based systems for smart packaging.