University of Surrey MDDP 2004 Project Outline

A Manufacturing Plant for Micromachined PTFE Components

Background A business start-up (UniStef) is being planned based on a patented process using charged particle accelerator beams to rapidly etch PTFE in air. The etching process gives components of very high aspect ratio, for example holes of 15 micron diameter have been etched to a depth of 2mm while maintaining parallel side for the full length. The etching process produces CF2O, a toxic waste product. UniStef has received a seedcorn grant to prepare a feasibility study and proposal to present to potential investors, and wishes to commission this from your consortium. The process has a wide range of possible products such as sieves, filters, moulds, microfluidic arrays, nozzles, heat exchangers, tissue scaffolds etc. Minimum feature size is potentially in the sub-micrometre range, so there may be nanotechnology implications. PTFE has the useful property of being chemically resistant, biocompatible and approved by the US federal drug administration (FDA) for human prosthetics. Already UniStef has attracted one potential client for nickel plating moulds which has a turnover of about 25M per annum. The only direct competitor is Sumitomo Heavy Industries in Japan who offer a service in-house to micro-machine PTFE using a synchrotron light source based on an 800MeV electron synchrotron accelerator. The UniStef process is more efficient and requires a much less expensive accelerator facility. Tasks Prepare a feasibility study for the construction and first years of operation of a PTFE micromachining plant based on a charged particle accelerator. This should address the following (this is not an exhaustive list!) 1 Investigate potential markets and clients 2 Find a suitable site for a factory. 3 Design or source a factory building. 4 Source accelerator and associated equipment to build a PTFE micro-machining plant. 5 Find a source of etch masks or a means of manufacturing them. 6 Design radiological and other safety systems for safe operation of the plant. 7 Assess and deal with the CF2O waste stream. 8 Provide a financial analysis for the construction and profitability of the manufacturing plant Opportunity This project will give the opportunity to examine and learn about the skills an entrepreneur needs to start up a new high tech industry based on university generated IP.