A tiny 'microcar', an exact replica of
a commercial car, has been built by
Japanese workers at the Nisshin
Research Laboratory at Nippon-
denso, Japan. The car is just 4.8 mm
long and 1.8 mm wide.
It is constructed bya seven-stage
process wherein initially, a silicone
rubber cast is made which is then
moulded in a molten bismuthsilicon alloy. The next process
involves nickel-plating with an
electric discharge machine. And
finally, after etching in silicone oil
(at 150C), it is gold plated. The car
has a top speed of 0.36 kmph,
attainable with the aid of a tiny
electromagnetic motor.
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