Laboratory for Manufacturing and Sustainability

Efficient and cost-effective manufacturing methods are needed for the widespread adoption of microfluidic devices. This paper focuses on the roller imprinting process, which is a new method for fabricating microfluidic devices. In this process, a cylindrical roll with raised features on its surface creates imprints by rolling over a fixed workpiece substrate and mechanically deforming it. Imprint precision is a function of the imprint roll features, the substrate material, and process parameters. This paper presents an analysis of the effects of process variables on the imprint using finite element (FE) simulations of the roller imprinting process.