Talk Prof P. Gandhi, IIT Bombay 22.11.11 @ 16h00

Microstereolithography to "Bulk Lithography" 

Abstract: A plethora of application demand fabrication of true 3 Dimensional microstructures including biomedical devices, scaffold like structures, biomemetic microstructures, 3D micro-mechanisms and so on. This talk presents first a novel, large area of scan, high precision and high-speed scanning microstereolithography system (patent pending) developed at Suman Mashruwala Advanced Microengineering Laboratory, in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Bombay. Results of research into several aspects of the system including optical design, mechanism design, mechatronics implementation are highlighted. Development of several novel microcomponents is presented to demonstrate capability of the process. Talk then proceed towards development of another novel process of fabrication termed by authors as "Bulk lithography". The process seeks to eliminate stepping effect seen in fabrication using Microstereolithography. Experimental investigation reveals interesting underlying physical phenomena pertaining to propagation of Gaussian laser light through solidifying photopolymerizable media. Research findings lead toward an efficient way of fabricating a class of microcomponents with high precision 3D nonoverhanging surfaces. 

Biography of speaker: Prof. Prasanna Gandhi (M’99) received the B.Engg. degree from the University of Bombay, Mumbai in 1994 and the M.Tech. degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Mumbai in 1996, both in mechanical engineering. He received the Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from rice University, Houston, TX in 2001. Since 2001, he has been a faculty member, currently associate professor, in the department of mechanical engineering at Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Mumbai. His research interests are in the areas of

MEMS and microsystems, mechatronics, and nonlinear dynamical systems and control. He has been a recipient of 2006 BOYSCAST fellowship of the Government of India and prof. J. r. Issac fellowship. He has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed conference and journal papers, along with one US patent and three Indian patents (pending). He has coordinated the creation of a new laboratory, suman mashruwala microengineering laboratory for research in microdomain, and has successfully completed several research projects sponsored by government and the private sector.