Abstract

Micro milling is a computer numerical control (CNC)-based subtractive manufacturing technique that enables fabrication of microscale, three-dimensional features in hard substrates such as acrylic, ceramics, and metals. Although widely used in engineering and biomicrofluidics, micro milling remains underutilized in organ-on-a-chip research, largely due to limited familiarity with CNC workflows. This webinar introduces micro milling as a practical and accessible fabrication approach for organ-on-a-chip development, with a focus on lung- and airway-on-a-chip systems.

The session will discuss core principles of micro milling–based fabrication, including computer-aided design strategies, toolpath generation, milling execution, and post-fabrication considerations. Design constraints relevant to organ-on-a-chip devices—such as feature resolution, surface roughness, and material selection—will be examined alongside comparisons with traditional fabrication methods, including photolithography, soft lithography, and 3D printing. A case study describing the design and fabrication of master molds for a human airway-on-a-chip, validated in a recent publication, will demonstrate how micro milling supports rapid prototyping and complex three-dimensional geometries.

Highlights

- Overview of micro milling as a CNC-based fabrication method for organ-on-a-chip devices.

- Practical design and toolpath workflows using SolidWorks and Fusion.

- Fabrication of lung- and airway-on-a-chip master molds using micro milling.

- Comparison of micro milling with photolithography and 3D printing for rapid prototyping.