Apr 17, 2026
Fabrication of an acrylic microfluidic chip system
- Nevena Milivojević Dimitrijević1,
- Dalibor Nikolić1,
- Živana Jovanović Pešić2,
- Marko Živanović1,
- Nenad Filipović2
- 1Institute for Information Technologies Kragujevac, University of Kragujevac, Serbia;
- 2Faculty of Engineering, University of Kragujevac, Serbia
Protocol Citation: Nevena Milivojević Dimitrijević, Dalibor Nikolić, Živana Jovanović Pešić, Marko Živanović, Nenad Filipović 2026. Fabrication of an acrylic microfluidic chip system. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.n2bvjkw85gk5/v1
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: April 17, 2026
Last Modified: April 17, 2026
Protocol Integer ID: 315215
Keywords: fabrication of an acrylic microfluidic chip system lab, acrylic microfluidic chip system lab, microfluidic chip system, microfluidic device, fdm 3d printing process, 3d printing process, acrylic plate, sandwich chip design, 3d cnc router, fabrication, chip system, 3d cnc, milling machine, milling process, bioengineering, cell
Abstract
Lab-on-chip systems are microfluidic devices that can be used as powerful tools for research in fields of molecular biology and bioengineering. We have developed a microfluidic chip system that is suitable for cultivation of cells or primitive tissues. The sandwich chip design is composed of acrylic plates - material that is transparent for easy optical following of cells. It is manufactured by milling processes performed on in-house developed 3D CNC router– 3D CNC milling machine and by the FDM 3D printing process on Creality 3D CR-10max printer.
Use the SolidWorks 2020 CAD software package to design and build the 3D model of the chip.
The chip is a sandwich design, composed of two acrylic plates with a thickness of 5 mm. The selected material is transparent for microscopic monitoring. Channels are designed and milled on the inside of both panels.
The main components are: bottom plate, dimensions 30 mm x 70 mm and thickness 5 mm. In this plate, a cylindrical main chamber for cell cultivation with a diameter of 16 mm and a depth of 0.8 mm was cut, as well as two supply channels with a half cylindrical section of 0.25 mm diameter. The other half of the channel is cut in the top plate as well as the two holes for the tube attachments.
Pipe fittings are attached to the end of each feed channel, the purpose of which is to provide an easy connection between the chip and the rest of the experimental equipment (e.g., peristaltic pumps). These extensions are manufactured using the FDM 3D printing process from PLA material. A Creality 3D CR-10 MAX printer was used, with high-quality printing (layer thickness 0.1 mm). Also, holes with a diameter of 3 mm are drilled on the plates for easier fastening.
Milling processes were carried out on a homemade produced 3D CNC router - 3D CNC milling machine. This machine is designed for very precise work with a built-in 2.2 KW water-cooled milling machine. This head provides max. 24000 rpm. A hybrid system was used for axially precise (with an error of 0.01 mm per 100 mm) and robust operation of the machine. A high-precision encoder was added to each stepper motor, and hybrid stepper drivers with feedback were used to control them. In this way, stable operation is ensured and the problem of skipping steps that occurs in machines with classic stepper motors is overcome.
A milling machine with 2 blades and a diameter of 2 mm was used for milling larger chambers and openings on the plates, while a groove with a ball end and a diameter of 0.25 mm was used for small supply channels. With a cutting depth of 0.25 mm, a semi-cylindrical cross-section profile of the supply channels is provided.
When the chip device is connected to a peristaltic pump, we get a microfluidic system. A peristaltic pump provides fine fluid control.