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This week we had guests of Directors of the Alliance of Lithuanian Clusters. On the meeting agenda was Lithuanian clusters future and perspectives where CoMI had an opportunity to present its strategy and collaboration opportunities across the country. We had an honour to show our premises for the guests and introduce them to micro molding technology too. Our CEO explained the differences between micro injection molding and traditional injection molding. The guests had a chance to check on how micromolding machines and micro-milling works as well as to touch and feel still hot molded samples.

During the meeting cluster members discussed on the cluster future strategy 2022-2024. The meeting agenda: goal of the cluster, value creation chains, funding options, financial planning, strategy tracking and control. As the main goal of the cluster it was agreed that CoMI members will seek a leadership in resilient and adaptive manufacturing which is compliant of ManuFUTURE 2030 strategy. In the long term the cluster will be integrated in EIT manufacturing ecosystem and other DIH networks and in this way cluster will assure its internationality and competitiveness across the Europe. According to Mr. G. Vilda (the head of cluster coordinating company), production has long gone beyond the boundaries of factories and is related to network and dynamic value creation systems that can be organized in multiple ways. Aligning and adapting different value creation systems to specific needs and key conditions contributes to building a sustainable and resilient European manufacturing ecosystem in a dynamically changing and uncertain world. The cluster was established in 2020. Its main goal is to unite companies of different sizes, the academic community, associations and other organizations into a club of leaders in manufacturing innovation. Cluster members seek to: increase horizontal and vertical integration between manufacturing industries; pursue the transformation of industry into a high- and medium-high-tech industry through the development and deployment of digital and green technologies; increase the production and export of high value-added products; create preconditions for increasing the international competitiveness of the cluster members and the entire manufacturing sector of the country. The innovative manufacturing cluster aims to become an international cluster and offer more opportunities for the international development and activities of its members. The main activities of the Cluster are as follows: Development of general R&D infrastructure International networking and partner search Construction project funding, search for funding Initiation of cluster projects Representing the interests of members at national and international level General employee competence development events Co-marketing projects Development, publicity and popularization of policy guidelines for the promotion of innovation in manufacturing Production digitization projects

The Allergomedica (UAB Imunodiagnostika) clinic is an innovative place where not only comprehensive and professional help can be provided for the patients but also novel health monitoring solutions are developed. The clinic specializes exclusively in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases. Allergists and clinical immunologists, laboratory specialists, and researchers work together to address each patient’s individual problem. Knowledge about allergic diseases and their diagnosis is constantly changing. New and new ways of treatment and diagnosis are emerging, so the highest quality care can be provided to the patient only by specialists who are constantly improving in this field. Health Tests at Home One of the newest innovative initiative of the clinic was to provide patients an opportunity to perform health tests at home with the use of simple blood test kits which can be shipped from home to the clinic for research. To develop such kits Allergomedica has chosen Micromolds as a design and manufacturing partner. The kit hardware consisted of a plastic stick to collect the test samples and the plastic case where the stick would be safely located for the transportation. It required a close teamwork of the clinic medical specialists and Micromolds engineers to design and make the first prototypes of the plastic hardware. The SLS printed prototypes For the first prototypes we used 3D SLS printing technology just to get the feel and look of the plastic case and the stick inside of it. Also, we had to check the assembly and fit of the assembled parts. It was also, necessary to assure a good snap fit of the closing parts of the case. Aluminum Micro Molds for Low-volume Production When the prototype versions were confirmed for further manufacturing we had to make a transition to the tooling and moulding of the first batch. For the tools, as almost always, we used aluminium and EDM machining to achieve desired surface finish of the final plastic cases. The results The plastic cases were delivered on time and in a good quality. We have many more projects to come with this innovative clinic and we take this as a proof of our good work.

Uniweb – a leading partner in Healthcare and Life Sciences of world-class innovative digital solutions that improve quality of life for their patients. Uniweb collects and processes clinical data in a regulatory and compliant way with the use of EDC solutions, Clinical Data Management, ePRO and registries systems. The company also develops its own healthcare apps and devices. Even though Uniweb’s main focus is in IT sector, this time, company has stepped into the world of hardware. Together with a consortium of Radboudumc university and ZGT Academy the team of engineers and medical students develops a medical device to measure the strength of a grip of elderly people. Low-volume injection molding for clinical tests Much research and many prototypes has been developed before Uniweb first contacted our company. It was instantly clear that the team has already put much effort in this project as the RFQ received was very informative and straight to the point. Despite that, 3D printing technology is very different from injection molding and this meant that some of the printed prototypes had to be optimised for low-volume injection molding. We had to know the critical dimensions that must remain the same in order to not disrupt the whole assembly and we successfully did that. The device itself had many plastic components which were perfect for our micromolding technology in respect of a lead time and costs of tooling. This is the main reason why we have received the contract from the client. However, because of the confidentiality issues we cannot disclose all of the information. The elastomer tube The first component that we had to mould was a tube with 2 outlets and 1 inlet. Not surprisingly, it was the most difficult too. To shape out all of this tubing we had to use 3 sliders with moving pins which had to be precision machined to enclose the whole internal channelling system. We used aluminium for the mold core and cavity and steel for the precision inserts. We delivered the project in 3 weeks with successful tube samples and were confirmed to continue with the next device components. We are proud that we can share our knowledge and contribute to the development of geriatric devices for elderly people. Soon be updated...

Droplet microfluidics is a recent trend of laboratory automation technologies, which allow scientists to explore the biological world at an unprecedented resolution and throughput. The new infrastructure is powered by innovative instrumentation, software as well as the consumable reagents and chips. In this context, plastic chips play a key role in enabling these applications, as they ensure a consistent and scalable droplet production. What are the microfluidic chips? At the foundations of droplet microfluidics are the chips used for high-speed droplet generation, injection, splitting, merging, mixing and storing. However, specialist injection moulding knowledge is required for producing chip features with micrometer resolution. Material science expertise is equally important as chosen plastics need to be compatible with fluorinated oils and biological analysis workflows. Finally, mechanical design is also important, as plastic chips feature a combination of microscopic features defining microfluidic functions, in addition to the macroscopic chip features like snap fits for assembly and liquid containers (wells). High volume chips’ molding When microfluidic channels are tested and confirmed for the desired research objective, higher volume of the chips may be demanded and this is where Micromolds company with micro injection moulding steps in. Not only does injection moulding come handy because of its high productivity but also because it enables the possibility to make non-micro structures – like the reservoirs, wells, inlet and outlet gates together with micro geometries in one single moldable piece. However, this comes at a certain cost which is challenging for any injection molding professional. Tooling challenges When things get really small, regular machining might not be an option even though theoretical machine and tool precision would let do so. For such micro tools we had to use tool inserts that are located inside the mold base. Since the high plastic injection pressures forces are exerted inside the mold cavity and core, we had to experiment a lot with different machining options of those inserts – from laser ablation to multiphoton polymerization. Manufacturing the insert is just one side of a coin, the most challenging task was to locate the insert inside the mold base so that alignment of the core and cavity would be perfect and the clamping forces would not brake the inserts. Injection Challenges Extremely flat surface of the chip was needed to make micro geometries possible. This meant that any sink marks caused by the uneven wall thickness had to be solved. However, we could not make walls thinner than the smallest ejectors we had since this would have caused us demolding problems. In fact, it did. At the first trials the ejectors were too weak and started to bend. As a way out we had to play with injection parameters to reduce the sink marks to the minimum so the wall thickness could remain unchanged and thus thicker ejectors could be used. The results We are excited to participate in the development and production of droplet microfluidic tools for the life science sector. We constantly grow with our customers by pushing together on the technical limits of plastic chip designs and enabling new applications, which finally contribute to modern biological research and human health.

1300 employees, 18 countries, 27 offices, This is how big Teltonika IoT Group is. The IoT group subsumes 5 subsidiary companies working in: Telematics (tracking hardware), Networks (professional networking equipment), Mobility (personal tracking, asset tracking and electric mobility) telemedicine (pulmonary ventilator and other healthcare devices) and EMS (manufacturing). The product Teltonika Telemedic almost two years ago initiated an innovative smart watch development project in the telemedicine industry. Teltonika Telemedic developed a device that can detect continuous ECG levels and atrial fibrillation. A smartwatch now undergoes the final technical checks and certification procedures. Clinical trials were carried out which delivered extraordinary results demonstrating high accuracy of ECG recording – 99,2% compared with in-hospital ECG holters. It indicates high precision to distinguish atrial fibrillation from other arrhythmias reaching 99,1 %, tested with more than 30 % of patients with frequent arrhythmias symptoms. The use of PPG in continuous monitoring of heart activity will allow detecting irregular heart rate in a timely manner even if there are no symptoms felt by the user. Thus, the smartwatch would detect asymptotic atrial fibrillation and prevent heart diseases if patients are diagnosed as early as possible. The design form molding To fit all of these technological features into a usual every-day smartwatch is quite a challenge both for designers and manufacturers. “The conception of design is not a job that takes one day or a month to complete. It is way more than you can think of. It took us nearly half a year to develop the design that it is right now. We put a lot of thought into producing a unique design which would be intuitive to use.” – says Eimantas Ramunis, Product Owner at Teltonika Telemedic. Many smartwatches in medical and consumer markets were compared and analysed, the flaws were determined to outperform competitors and stand out of the crowd. Teltonika design team came up with nearly five different designs. Thus, not surprisingly, it was even more difficult for the whole team to choose the best one not only from the design point of view but also from manufacturing. The plastic case A good designer knows that what looks and feels good does not always work out with technological aspects and might cause problems with manufacturability. To speak numbers – the watch will have six sensors contacting with human. From the manufacturability side, it means making slots, holes, fixtures and complex shapes to integrate all of the technology. Since the only option for making this product tangible is injection molding it also means that variety of inserts will be used to form these complex features and that the moldability optimization also should be implemented. Micromolds℠ is driven by such challenges daily and that is what we love about on-demand molding business. We are proud to be chosen to fulfil “TeltoHeart” smartwatch prototyping phase needs from design optimization and consultation to actual physical prototypes. “The company was contacted due to their flexibility and short lead times, also because their other manufactured products proved to be high-quality. We need a flexible and reliable partner that can produce on-demand quantities. They are the perfect partner as they own the injectors that warrant our initial quantities.”– says Eimantas Ramunis, Product Owner at Teltonika Telemedic. Mold inserts made with metal 3D printers The watch strap had to be mounted to the plastic case at a particular angle which made mold machining nearly impossible. Luckily, metal 3D printing technology could be used for that. Metal 3D printing technology is based on laser power which binds small metal particles in requires geometry. Layer by layer 3D printer made the inserts which were successfully installed inside the molds. Not only have 3D printed inserts been used but also the sensors and metal connectors made and designed by Teltonika Telemedic team. It was quite a challenge to fit them all in such a tiny plastic case which meant placing every insert inside the mold at specific positions with an extra high precision to avoid any defects like flashes or unwanted weld lines. The overmolded elastomeric watch strap Rubber, silicone and elastomer – all three different chemical materials but very similar for a regular user. When looking for material for a watch strap two main challenges arise immediately. The first being the resistance to wear and the second being the tackiness. Not only the material will have to maintain its form while being twisted, bended and stretched but also not to collect dust and feel comfortable. “Originally, we wanted to explore ideas using silicon bands, but silicon does not provide the durability and properties that are offered by TPUs” – says Jostautas Petrusevičius, Hardware Engineer at Teltonika Telemedic. Huge amount of TPEs’ combinations was tried to obtain the desired feel on the skin. The strap also had to be hypoallergenic and withstand sterilization even with corrosive liquids like isopropyl alcohol. When it seemed that the right material has been found there were always one more thing to remember - “TeltoHeart” smartwatch strap will have an integrated sensor. Such integration is one of its kind in the whole smartwatch industry and this is one of the reasons why Teltonika Telemedic team has also consulted with our company. Such feature demanded an extraordinary technology. How to insert such a sensor in a flexible elastomer strap which would resist fatigue and other environmental harsh conditions over time. Elastomer overmolding came as perfect solution. While overmolding itself is not something new we have been doing, in this case we had to overmold the flexible (floating) wire inside the strap. Even though injection pressures are not high but it can still deflect the wire inside the strap which would result in wire being not fully overmolded. Despite this difficult challenge our team succeeded in a uniform wire overmolding. The results “We are really satisfied with Micromolds ℠ services. The company offered fast and responsive technical support. It helped us to save time and expenses on expensive tooling for mass production. We could see and test possible problems before mass production and eliminate them.”– Eimantas Ramunis, Product Owner at Teltonika Telemedic. The quote above summarizes it all. We are so happy to share this story which once again proves that our hard work pays off. We can deliver results and we truly help companies to innovate and this is the biggest reward we can get.

SUSHI Bikes GmbH It is not the sushi you may instantly think of. It is an e-bike that was developed and designed to cut an average e-bike cost by half - to just 999EUR. SUSHI bikes is a young growing start-up company disrupting e-bikes industry by taking not only a green approach to the mobility and the future but also to the manufacturing and sourcing of the bike’s components. How otherwise they could cut those costs so considerably without losing bikes’ quality? Since here at Micromolds not only do we cut molding costs twice too but we also help companies to fill the market gaps caused by demand fluctuations and bridge manufacturing from low to medium size production. We believe that our cooperation with SUSHI bikes very much relates with their overall objectives. This time we helped this company to develop and manufacture an AirTag holder which can be easily attached underneath the saddle. Design for manufacturing (DFM) As every molding project begins with DFM this was no different and we immediately started moldability analysis and part optimization for injection molding. Mainly we did these changes: 1. Draft angles have been added to the parts. 2. Some areas have been hollowed out to make walls of uniform thickness. This was done to prevent certain areas from sink marks, voids and distortions. Nevertheless, there were still remaining some places where we could not make a uniform wall thickness without changing the part’s geometry. So, we ran a moldability analysis and images were provided to see which places might be at risk of having those defects. 3. Logo has been extruded out instead of cut out to enable surface finish on flat surfaces. 4. Some walls have been pushed inside 0.5mm because of impossible mold construction. 5. Some fillets were removed around the round surface because of impossible mold machining. 6. Visuals were provided to depict: parting line, injection points and locations of ejectors. Overcoming the sink marks Thanks to our smooth communication with the SUSHI bikes’ mechanical engineer Max, we had an opportunity to exchange our know-how and thus we came up with a slight design changes to reduce those sink marks marked in red. The hollowing of thick wall region was a great balance for not losing a contact surface area in the assembly but also decreasing a sink region considerably. Mold making It took us exactly 8 days to machine the molds after the DFM was confirmed. We used aluminium molds for this low-volume production batches. Polishing was required of outer plastic casing surfaces, however, machining marks were left for the inside. Both sides of the plastic AirTag holder fit in two separate micro molds having single cavity each. Overmolding (insert molding) reduced assembly time (for pressing bushings) When we were asked to also do the assembly of the plastic housing we were thinking of using a press to tight-fit the bushings. However, only after several days, still in the initial stages of the project we agreed that overmolding will be more effective solution. We had to do slight modifications to the mold during the DFM but therefore we could save assembly costs and time considerably. Injection molding, the assembly and packing We were happy that we could provide end-to-end service for our client. After samples were confirmed we finished the first batch of 1000 units in a few days. We did the manual assembly of the whole batch. We also stuck EAN code labels to the packing boxes that were provided by the client and successfully delivered project on time. In the end, What does this really have to do with the Japanese speciality - sushi? “One rolls, the other are Rolls. So who doesn't immediately think of SUSHI when they think of e-bikes?” - SUSHI Bikes - this is how we roll.

Medical Injection Molding Project MFI (Medical, Industrial) provides design, engineering and production services in Medical and Industrial fields covering high-end on-demand manufactured cables and wires. The company specializes in custom wire harness, assembly of connectors, EEG caps, cable design, soldering fine wires and much more. MFI is a company that has a 15 years of expertise in the medical and industrial fields. MFI has established its name in custom-made wires, electrodes, and similar products categories. MFI has a dedicated team of engineers who are experts in 3D modelling, mechanical engineering, prototyping, and manufacturing. All this is for the creation of a reliable connection for the client. Subcontracting Molding Service When it comes to subcontracting with other manufacturing companies there is always some curiousity to find out something similar between the partners. We were glad when we knew that we have much in common with cable overmolding - even though Micromolds company specializes in micromolding technology, we have had some cable overmolding projects in the past as well. Maybe this much related subject helped as to bond and develop a stronger partnership with other projects to come in the future. Receiving an RFQ This cooperation itself was about injection moulding of a plastic housing for the electrode. As soon as we received the RFQ we understood that this is something we can surely do without much competition, because we could check-mark all of the below: The part was small enough so we could make even 8 or 16 cavities in a single micro mould; The manufacturing volume was up to 100k; It had some micro-features achievable only with micro moulding technology Urgency - the project had to be done in few weeks and it needed rapid prototypes We had in stock medical grade ABS material. The product was an ideal for our micromolding technology and thus we felt quite sure that we can give a competitive offer for the client. DFM analysis and part optimisation for moulding After the order confirmation, as always the DFM followed. Since the contracting company was a manufacturer and had a strong engineering knowledge itself, the quality of the CAD model was superb. As well as the RFQ received itself. “This is what we call a qualitative RFQ that helps to save time for both of the client and the manufacturer” – says CEO Jonas We had only to add some draft angles for some regions and also agree on injection points and ejector marks. The process was fast and smooth and thus we transitioned to the tooling stage in about 3 days. The Tooling – Mold Making We used aluminium micro molds with 4 cavities. No EDM machining was required. We had molds ready in less than 1 week for sample molding. Sample Check T1 When we mold the samples we are the first ones that can inspect them and tell the quality of the work done. As always, we are honest and transparent with the client and if needed we share optical images or videos of the defects occurred. However, the defects can be of 2 types: caused by the moulder (us) or by the client – design of the part. In this case when we received the first feedback there could be controversial opinions: the broken wall could have occurred due to the wrong knit line location (bad part optimisation – our responsibility) or bad design (client’s responsibility). Thanks to the expertise of both the client’s and ours engineers we could nicely agree that this was not an issue of a knit line which was not possible in this situation, as seen in the picture. Both parties could agree that the wall should be thickened and thus the solution to the challenge came quickly. As the CEO of MFI Ronald de Vreeze would say: “We have a solution for just about every challenge – be that specialist customization in single pieces or large volumes…” When it comes to the mold modification due to the subtractive type of CNC machining we can only carve out the material from the mould but not add it back. Since the wall had to be thickened the modification was a minor change and we did it in few days. The results Since the changes were obvious and minor the client decided to avoid the sample check T2 and we went straight to manufacturing of the first batch. Even though we had some little anxiety after we had sent the first batch we received another order for batch 2 and the anxiety dissipated instantly as the results were satisfying. Not only did we succeed in this single project but we have also built a strong partnership with a MFI company – we are having next 2 projects to come and we take this as prove that we did a truly great job.

Disclaimer: the lower part of the tube and its components will remain not disclosed due to confidentiality issues. Summary: Goal: Rapid injection molded prototypes for innovative medical test tubes to fight Covid-19 pandemic. Procedure: Test tube’s membrane cap design optimization for molding Test tube’s inner components: valve and hammer design consultancy and DFM CNC machining 3 aluminium tools for low-volume injection molding in less than 3 weeks. Molding first samples Result: First prototypes delivered for robot assembly testing in less than 2 months with design changes and consultancy included under 10 000 EUR which could be up to 2 times cheaper and faster than with traditional molding. Swissinnov GmbH is a medical products developing company which has set its main goal as to transform creative thoughts into the real products. Swissinnov believes that talents and ideas are the core assets of organizations which strive to venture into new businesses to obtain new customers and to differentiate itself from its competitors. To help such organizations Swissinnov offers a global perspective of product development and the capacity to completely foster their businesses at various levels. When Swissinnov first contacted Micromolds it was instantly clear that the RFQ received was of a high quality and that the company knows how to work with injection molders. “When you get an email with a subject name ‘rapid mold’ you immediately feel the pressure from the client but also know that this is exactly what we can offer” – says Dominykas Turčinskas, CCO at Micromolds Part Design for Molding The goal of this project was to develop a medical test tube which would have an inner moving components and membrane cap. For this reason, the test tube is not just a test tube – it becomes an actual medical device with certain requirements: · Material: PP highly transparent (PP copolymer) · Design constraints: Thin wall 0.1 mm-0.6mm · Surface finish: high polished · Device has to stay in storage for 12 months · Sealing has to insure 100% tightness during storage (5 to 40°C) · Low friction to operate valve during operation · Parts will contain disposable unit It took us total of 6 iterations of major design changes to come up with a final V6 design of a whole device. It is essential that on such high value and time-sensitive projects both parties would sustain tight and quick communication. We are proud that the machining of the molds started in 4 weeks which shows an outstanding speed to confirm and agree on a total of 6 versions of design variations. Design for Manufacturability (DFM) The main challenge in design stage is to balance between the functionality and manufacturability of the product. To achieve this balance, it is essential that the product developers would share the most of information they can so that know-how of injection molding could be implemented in the project objectives. In this way both parties can come up with a new design variation that previously could not be even imagined. Material Selection and Tooling Material selection and sourcing in a medical device development projects plays also a critical role. Not only had the design requirements to be met but also the documentation of material sourcing and supplying had to be prepared and submitted. This includes: · HRAF form · Medical Polymers Request form · Customer agreement letter · Statement of Medical Compliance As Micromolds has its material supplying partners and experience in filing the documentation it was a huge help and time saver for the client. Results The tube and the remaining 2 components were produced in separate 3 aluminium molds. We used our CNC mills and aluminum material to machine the tools as this allows us to achieve short lead times and low-cost machining. The most important advantage is that all the components and the tube itself fit in our micromolding machine and micro molds. This allows us to cut the costs even more. The tooling stage for all 3 molds in total took us 3 weeks not to mention highly polished mold surfaces. The cost of these molds settled around 10 000EUR in total with modifications included which is no less than twice cheaper than traditional molding. We are so proud that we can deliver such results for our highly valuable clients.

We are proud to share that our most recent micro injection molding project has allowed us to put our passions for challenges and sustainability in one place by collaborating with innovation and environmental friendly company. However, as nothing good comes easy, this project brought us to a great challenge which will soon be introduced further. About our client Since 1825, MyCourant is a rope and rope accessories manufacturer located in France. Courant is a vertical living and safety brand name well-known worldwide. This is a family business where the know-how was accumulated through almost 200 years and was conveyed and developed from generation to generation. The innovation lies deep in the roots of this company and this project is not an exception. Main Challenges: Design and Sustainability This time MyCourant team was developing a new “Boule de Ferlette” for recall ropes. It is a ball that is placed in the end of the recall rope for the recovery of false ring fork. This ball is useful during pruning work and can be used even if the rope does not have a splice. In order to have a better picture of how the "Boule de Ferlette" will look like after the process of injection molding, the first 3D printed prototype was created. However, the initial solution of a wooden anchor with a special surface treatment appeared to have serious drawbacks. The surface treatment was mainly used for better wear resistance and brighter colors, but this made the ball a non-ecological product and too simple in its shape. Basically, it did not represent the company as needed as it had not aligned with one of the main values - sustainability. “in order to have reasonable costs, we could not do what we wanted in terms of shape since the machining of a product would be complicated but the worse was that it deteriorated quickly, and we had long production times”, - stated the R&D designer Mr. Laurent Glauser. The new approach: Biodegradability and Design for Manufacturability The new design was based on biomimicry and thus, aligns better with the company’s values. Mr. Laurent has worked hardly on a new design to make the product similar to the acorn and manufacturable. Mr. Laurent has previously stated that: “The product should not get stuck through foliage or branches and therefore should be profiled.” The ball had additional design constrains – the strong construction which would be able to withstand at least 200 Kg and ecological materials used, as Mr. Laurent has stated: “Biodegradability is important since the future is green and ecology is a subject close to our hearts and to our customers”. Low-Volume Manufacturing: Micro Injection Molding Right after the new designs were developed, tests were made on ground with professional users and stress tests were conducted with a test bench on 3D printed models. When stress analysis was passed, Mycourant team contacted Micromolds company for the service of injection molding. Since Micromolds company specializes in low-volume manufacturing and micro injection molding, the “Boule de Ferlette” project was a well targeted RFQ. The quote with moldability analysis was sent through 1 business day and the new issue arose: making the design of a ball compatible with injection molding technology. Challenge No.1 - Undercut Regions The ball had many undercut regions. This might happen with the new projects and sometimes it is worth to remember, that not everything that is visually attractive can be manufactured. The rope that was winded around the ball had to be shifted to avoid undercuts. Micromolds came up with 3 new design solutions. Challenge No. 2 - Sink Marks Since the ball had thick wall regions, there was a considerable risk of material cooling issues which would cause sink marks to achieve better strength. In injection molding, thick walls do not always mean strong walls. Sinking can cause serious problems and can hugely reduce the strength of the part. Engineers and designers had to agree on where exactly and which walls can be thinner as well as what hollowing options were possible to maintain a good appearance of the product. Challenge No. 3 - Mold Modification After the first sample check and tests, MyCourant company came up with a complicated modification in mind. When it comes to modification in injection molding, the possibilities are bounded by the exact location and type of the modification in the mold. Since the tooling process is done by the means of material subtraction – CNC machined, this means that the processes cannot be rewinded. In simple terms - the metal chips cannot be glued back to the mold. So, if the modification takes place in the cavity side, enlarging the wall, for example, may be possible because the mold can still be machined. However, if thicker wall is needed in the core side, this might become impossible, since there might be no material left to machine. In this case, modification happened to not be in favor for the Courant company. Micromolds loves challenges and took risk by trying to do the impossible. It would actually not be possible to put those machined chips back, though machining a little ‘puzzle’ part that could be glued or screwed inside the core side of the mold might seem as a way out. This solution can work in rare cases and is purely dependent on the luck – where the modification takes place. The way around this problem was smooth – the mold was modified and the production was launched. Results: Final Injection Molded Products and Smooth Collaboration The cooperation with MyCourant company was smooth and satisfying. Brilliant and fast communication laid a strong foundation for trust between both companies. Altough the project has had many challenges and has taken a long time to be finished, both parties are equally satisfied with the results. Mr. Laurent’s feedback illustrates this nicely: “We are happy with the result and the quality of the parts obtained, with a biodegradable and compostable material, still young on the market. In addition, Micromolds provided an excellent service and cost-saving advices.”

The iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition) is the largest annual international competition in synthetic biology. Teams from best world universities competes here with their researches and scientifically based projects which solve actual world problems. We are proud to be part of Vilnius-Lithuania iGEM 2020 team helping them out with our mechanical engineering skills and knowledge. The Vilnius-Lithuania iGEM 2020 team project focuses on a critical issue in the food industry and aquaculture - infectious diseases in fish, which in turn wipes off more than $ 6 billion annually in fish farming industry (World Bank, 2014). While Earth resources are scare, the growing human population is leading to a growing demand for them, thus ability to effectively and sustainably produce high levels of food is becoming more an more relevant issue. The presumption of this project is that identified appropriate mechanisms for disease prevention, detection and treatment will greatly reduce production losses caused by these infectious pathogens and will eliminate the use of antibiotics in fish farms. Vilnius-Lithuania iGEM 2020 project consists of three main parts: Early detection of exogenous bacterial diseases by the use of strip test; Treatment based on the action of exolysins; Prevention based on the development of proteins immobilized in alginate beads for vaccination. As it can be easily guessed "Micromolds" team will mainly contribute in the first part of this huge project. We are really proud to be part of Vilnius-Lithuania iGEM 2020 team helping to design and manufacture strip testing device to indicate infectious bacteria in fish farms. However, it is not our first time we participate in collaborations with Vilnius University. Our task is to design 3D model of strip test which could be later on manufactured with 3D printing technology FDM. This will be only a prototype to demonstrate the testing procedure on fish farm site. The main design constrains we have discussed for this strip test device are: Material must be suitable for FDM 3D printing; Sample well should have converging form for sample liquid to freely drain inside; The housing should have transparent section for test and control lines indication; Fixation at points of membranes should be minimal not to interfere diffusion; Strip test device should be reusable with one-time use strips; Dimensions: height: 4 mm; length: 70 mm; width: 10 mm. This project is still in process and will be updated. ...