We have developed innovative electric discharge machining methods for drilling small holes, slots, and other features with high surface finish. Applications have included orifices for inkjet printheads and specialized heat exchanger plates. The development of these techniques ultimately led to the founding of the Creare spin-off, Mikros Manufacturing.

Creare uses laser micromachining for drilling holes and slots at sizes down to 5 micrometers (0.0002 inches). We have used our custom in-house laser facility to create capillary structures for spacecraft thermal management and power applications, as well as to fabricate nozzles and plates for the generation of fine aerosols.

Current efforts in machining process development include low-cost techniques for machining without the use of cutting fluids, which can be environmentally unfriendly. Our process provides substantial improvements in tool life while reducing cost.