Description
Within a microassembly process, four independent variables can be identified, which influence the overall accuracy of the assembled part in a high dimension. These variables are the uncertainty of the moving parts of the handling system, the component fixtures, the gripping elements and the joining technology. Due to the complexity of these variables, an all-embracing conclusion of the resulting joining uncertainty, primarily taking into consideration the different effects of liquid adhesives, cannot be made. In this context, the curing process, the surface properties, and the design of the assembly process are discussed in detail, with special emphasis on a new approach that takes advantage of the favorable characteristics of physical setting hot melt adhesives instead of chemically reactive liquid adhesives. The integration of the newly developed assembly processes using hot melt adhesives results in increasingly accurately assembled microcomponents.