Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF)
Machinery : Additive Manufacturing : 3D Printer
Boston Micro Fabrication is the world leader in micro-precision 3D printers utilizing Projection Micro Stereolithography (PµSL) technology. Many leading companies worldwide are adopting PµSL to 3D print true microstructures with ultra-high printing resolution (2µm~50µm) and printing tolerance (+/- 10µm ~ +/- 25µm). Micro-precision 3D printing is the optimal manufacturing process for various use cases across a wide variety of industries. The combination of ultra-high resolution, accuracy, and precision allows for more intricate, exact, and replicable parts.
Assembly Line
BMF Raises $43M Series C to Continue Driving Convergence of Additive Manufacturing and Miniaturization
Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF), the pioneer in microscale 3D printing systems, today announced the successful closing of a Series C round of funding, totaling $43 million. The round was led by Shenzhen Capital Group Co., Ltd. (“SCGC”). BMF will use the funding to advance product development, sales and marketing and customer support as the company continues to expand and serve its global customer base.
How Is 3D Printing Different From Other Manufacturing Techniques?
Ultimately, the difference between 3D printing and other manufacturing methods is about how 3D printing builds parts in layers, and how 3D printing provides greater design freedom. From thickness and topology optimization to lattice formation, design for manufacturing (DFM) is different with 3D printing. This form of additive manufacturing also enables the design of single-piece parts instead of assemblies that require multiple components and fasteners.
New Micro-3D Printing Technique Could Benefit Pentagon
For many pieces of equipment, such as lenses or sensors, there is a trend to make them smaller and smaller, he said. But traditional manufacturing techniques that have historically been used to make the parts don’t scale well and have other limitations. To address this, the company developed a process it calls projection micro stereolithography, he said. The technique allows for the rapid photopolymerization of a layer of resin with ultraviolet light at micro-scale resolution, allowing the company to achieve ultra-high accuracy precision and resolution that cannot be achieved with other technologies, according to Kawola’s slides.
Todd Spurgeon, a project engineer at America Makes, said he sees several ways the technology could be leveraged for the Defense Department. For example, it could be employed for higher-end electronics, circuits, small unmanned aerial vehicles and microneedle arrays for fast-acting medicines.