Following the guidelines will guarantee that your fluidic layer can be transition molded successfully.

The fluidic layer is manufactured using these steps:

1. A negative of your design is precision machined in an aluminum mold.
2. Replicates of your design are transition molded in production-grade thermoplastic materials.
3. Vias are drilled or machined in place to connect your fluidic layer and hardware.

Transition Molding is a proprietary technology that allows us to manufacture custom devices in production-grade resins 10X faster than legacy techniques like micro-injection molding. The process starts by precision machining an aluminum mold that contains a negative of your custom fluidic layer. Then, the finished mold is installed into one of our Transition Molders where molten plastic is forced against the aluminum mold, creating a precise copy of your fluidic layer. The fluidic layer is then ejected from the mold and finished in a secondary machining process.

The fluidic layer design guidelines ensure:

1. Your tool can be machined.
2. Your features will reproduce during Transition Molding.
3. Your part will eject from the mold without damage.
4. Your features can be milled during secondary machining

Molded microfeatures originate from the bottom side of the fluidic layer. They are replicated from the aluminum mold into the fluidic layer during the Transition Molding process.

Machined microfeatures originate from the top side of the fluidic layer. They are milled or drilled after the Transition Molding process in a secondary machining process.

Learn more about specific guidelines for fluidic layer manufacturing: