DESIGN & CAD
Microfluidic design & CAD.
One Stop Microfluidics Shop designs microfluidic chips as well as making them. Start with a conversation, a specification, a sketch or existing CAD — we work out what the device needs to do, design it for manufacture, and revise it on your feedback before building it, from a single prototype to production.
- Start from a conversation
- Drawn for manufacture
- STEP · DXF · STL
- NDA on request
Key facts
- One Stop Microfluidics Shop designs microfluidic chips as well as manufacturing them, so one supplier covers design, prototyping and production.
- A design can start from a conversation — you do not need a specification or drawing to begin. We can also work from a sketch or existing CAD in STEP, DXF or STL.
- Every design is drawn for manufacture, so the geometry suits the chosen process — 3D printing, CNC machining, PDMS casting or injection moulding.
- Design decisions cover channel layout and aspect ratio, material selection, bonding strategy, and the world-to-chip interface.
- You review each design and we revise it on your feedback, so the device is agreed before anything is manufactured.
- Designs can be sent under NDA, and the same design carries through to production without redrawing.
What we design
New devices from your requirements
Often this starts with a meeting or a call rather than a document. We work through what the device has to do — flow rates, volumes, detection method, sample type — and design a chip that does it and can actually be made.
CAD from a sketch or drawing
Hand sketches, PDFs and marked-up drawings become production-ready CAD you own, supplied in standard formats.
Design-for-manufacture review
Already have a design? We review it against the target process and flag the features that would fail, distort or add cost before tooling.
Redesign for scale-up
Devices that work in PDMS or 3D print often need reworking for injection moulding. We adapt the design so it survives the transition.
How the design process works
- 1
Talk it through
Meet us or book a call and we work out the requirement together — what the device has to do, the materials, volumes and how it will be read. If you already have a specification, sketch or CAD, send that instead; either way, under NDA if you prefer.
- 2
We design it for manufacture
We work up the channel layout and geometry, choose a material and process, and plan the bonding and fluidic interface alongside the design.
- 3
You review it and we revise
The design comes back to you to check. Tell us what needs to change and we revise it — the device is agreed with you before anything is cut or moulded.
- 4
We prototype, then produce
We make the agreed design, then carry it through to production — no redrawing when volumes grow.
No specification yet? That is the usual starting point — book a 30-minute call and we will work the requirement out with you, or request an NDA first.
What microfluidic design decides
A microfluidic device is a set of trade-offs between physics, chemistry and how the part will actually be made. These are the decisions we work through with you — each links to the underlying engineering, and to a free calculator you can use yourself.
- Channel geometry and aspect ratio — sets flow resistance and what each process can actually cut or mould. See aspect ratio design rules and the channel dimension calculator.
- Pressure drop and flow — whether your pump can drive the device at all. See the pressure drop guide and calculator.
- Mixing and residence time — because laminar flow means mixing has to be designed in. See micromixers.
- Material selection — optical and chemical requirements drive the choice. See COC vs COP vs PMMA, optical properties and chemical compatibility.
- Bonding and sealing — how the chip is closed affects channel integrity and burst pressure. See bonding methods.
- The world-to-chip interface — ports and fittings are where designs most often lose sample. See dead volume.
Explore all 38+ free design calculators, or read the engineering guides behind them.
Designed by the people who make it
Designs drawn without a process in mind tend to fail at the tooling stage. Because One Stop Microfluidics Shop also runs the manufacturing — 3D printing, CNC machining, PDMS casting, injection moulding, thermal-diffusion bonding and glass — the design is made against what the process can really hold. The same drawing then carries through from prototype to production without being redrawn, and you can order the parts from the same place. Confidentiality is covered by a mutual NDA whenever you want one.
Frequently asked questions
Do you design microfluidic chips, or only manufacture them?
Both. One Stop Microfluidics Shop designs microfluidic devices to your requirements and manufactures them, so design, prototyping and production sit with one supplier.
What if I do not have a design or specification yet?
That is a normal starting point. Many design projects begin with a meeting or a call in which we work through what the device needs to do, and we design from that — you do not need a drawing or a written specification to start.
What do I need to provide to start a design?
Whatever you have, including nothing. A conversation about the requirement is enough to begin; a written specification or sketch helps, and if you already have CAD we can work from STEP, DXF or STL files.
Can I review the design and ask for changes?
Yes. The design comes back to you to check, and we revise it on your feedback. The device is agreed with you before anything is manufactured.
Can you review a microfluidic design I already have?
Yes. We carry out a design-for-manufacture review against your target process and materials, and identify features that would be difficult, unreliable or costly to produce before tooling is committed.
What does microfluidic chip design involve?
Channel layout and cross-section, aspect ratio and pressure drop, mixing and residence time, material selection for optical and chemical requirements, the bonding method, and the world-to-chip interface — all chosen so the device can be manufactured.
Do you keep my design confidential?
Yes. Designs can be shared under a mutual NDA before you send anything, and we handle only the technical detail needed to design and manufacture the device.
Can the design be scaled to production later?
Yes. Designs are drawn for manufacture from the start, so the same device can move from prototype to injection moulded production without being redrawn.
Design & CAD
Got a device in mind but no drawing?
Send us the requirement — a spec, a sketch, or existing CAD — and we will design it for manufacture and quote the build, usually within one working day.
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