Today's KNOWLEDGE Share
A bug in injection molding – an injection-molded part in a bug?
Neither! Nature and injection molding have reached similar results.
Nature created the first micro-gear long before any human engineering existed. One such example is the Issus coleoptratus (shown in the picture).
Furthermore, only now are we reaching the point where injection-molded polymer microgears can approach this level of performance.
Looking at the images, which one do you think is the natural gear, and which one is the molded version?
It is not that easy to tell, right? Their appearance and operating principles are surprisingly similar.
Chitin, a natural linear polymer, forms what nature essentially "molds” into shape.
In engineering, we rely on advanced technical polymers to produce similar geometry through actual injection molding.
They are not the same material, yet they solve the same issue:
Stiffness, dimensional stability, and reliable function at a scale where tolerances dominate everything.
Nature’s micro-gears are „ancient” solutions.
Our micro-gears are modern engineering achievements.
It always amazes me how far ahead of us nature is.
What do you think?
Can biological structures inspire the next generation of micro-manufacturing technologies?
source : Jozsef Gabor KOVACS
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