![]() ![]() Most of the growth in recent years has been in Asia. A related technology is ceramic powder injection molding, leading to about US$2 billion total sales. The metal injection molding market has grown from US$9 million in 1986, to US$382 million in 2004 to more than US$1.5 billion in 2015. The latter operation typically shrinks the product by 15% in each dimension. After the initial molding, the feedstock binder is removed, and the metal particles are diffusion bonded and densified to achieve the desired strength properties. MIM feedstock can be composed of a plethora of metals, but most common are stainless steels, widely used in powder metallurgy. This shot can be distributed into multiple cavities, making MIM cost-effective for small, intricate, high-volume products, which would otherwise be expensive to produce. The behavior of MIM feedstock is governed by rheology, the study of sludges, suspensions, and other non-Newtonian fluids.ĭue to current equipment limitations, products must be molded using quantities of 100 grams or less per "shot" into the mold. Finished products are small components used in many industries and applications. After molding, the part undergoes conditioning operations to remove the binder (debinding) and densify the powders. The molding process allows high volume, complex parts to be shaped in a single step. Metal injection molding ( MIM) is a metalworking process in which finely-powdered metal is mixed with binder material to create a "feedstock" that is then shaped and solidified using injection molding. “The defect rate on larger, more complex parts like aerospace, industrial, and automotive components has been far too high,” says Goldenberg.Metal parts produced by injection molding Al though MIM has been around since the 1980s, persistent challenges such as knit lines, short shots, inconsistent part density, warpage, and shrinkage have raised scrap rates and lowered cost-competitiveness. ![]() Gun triggers, watch bezels, and orthodontic components are some typical applications. LaSalle notes that MIM has been used mainly for small parts in the range of 1 to 50 g. “MIM is already gaining on our plastics operations in terms of total output,” he says. Although MIM constitutes less than 2% of the metal-forming business in the U.S., its growth potential encourages PTI president and founder Mel Goldenberg. ![]() PTI has five injection molding presses suitable for MIM. It recently obtained a $4.05-million grant for MIM R&D from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Washington, D.C., under its Advanced Technology Program (ATP). PTI, a plastics and metal parts molder, is a leading developer of the MIM process. “MPI simulation was critical for assisting with gate design and prediction of knit lines,” LaSalle says. PTI is reportedly one of the first molders to use flow simulation for MIM. #METAL INJECTION SOFTWARE#PTI used Moldflow’s MPI simulation software to reduce development time by several weeks and to obtain a high degree of process repeatability. “The metal alloy was selected for its strength, durability, and oxidation resistance at elevated temperatures-the very same capabilities that make it hard to machine with conventional methods,” he notes. “By forming the body by MIM to the required final part thickness, significantly less machining is required,” LaSalle says. inner diameter with thick and thin wall sections. LaSalle, PTI’s director of MIM operations, this is the largest and one of the most complex MIM parts in the world. (PTI), Clifton, N.J., in cooperation with Honeywell Engines & Systems of Tempe, Ariz. Now in the final stages of qualification, the part was developed by the molder, Polymer Technologies Inc. The flow body directs hot air from the jet engine to other parts of the plane, such the passenger cabin for heating. It’s not just for small parts anymore: One of the latest developments in metal-powder injection molding (MIM) is its first commercial large part-a 3.5-lb flow-body housing for a passenger jet plane. PTI troubleshoots gate and runner placement, filling, process temperatures, and density issues using MPI/3D. MPI/3D molding simulation from Moldflow is proving vital to determining MIM part and tool design. ![]()
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