Microplasturgie

It is generally accepted that microplasturgy refers to plastic parts obtained by traditional transformation, but whose mass does not exceed 1 g in the case of injected parts, or whose cross-section is of the order of 1 mm ² in the case of extrusion profiles, and whose volume is around 1 mL in the case of bottles obtained by injection or extrusion-blow molding.

These parts are used in a wide range of industrial sectors, from cosmetics (spray pump bodies), pharmaceuticals (single-dose drugs) and medicine (catheters, balloon probes) to electronics, telecommunications (connectors, cell phone parts, optical fibers) and watchmaking (gears).

Their common denominator is dimensional precision of the order of a few micrometers, hence the term "microplasturgy".

Their development continues to accelerate with the arrival on these markets of "microsystems", devices comprising several integrated mechatronic, electronic and optical functions, and making full use of one of the main functions made possible by plastics: the integration of functions.

This market trend is pushing the limits of plastics processing ever further, and the aim of this article is to review the basic rules and current limitations of traditional processes, to suggest approaches and to look ahead to the new resources currently being developed and which will be made available to manufacturers in the coming years.