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Applications for MIM II: The Automotive Industry
The automotive industry: A major consumer of MIM parts
The automotive sector has become a major consumer of MIM, and parts of high complexity are used in engines, gearboxes, turbochargers, locking mechanisms, steering systems and electronic systems, to name just a few.
Fig. 20 Metal Injection Moulded (MIM)
rocker arms produced by Schunk
Sintermetalltechnik GmbH , Germany
Rocker Arms for BMW engines
An example is the roller following type rocker arm shown in Fig. 20. This rocker arm for engines with a variable valve stroke is made from low alloy steel. It features a hollow configuration, saving weight, which is difficult to achieve by other processes.
The variable valve lift enhances the engine performance and reduces fuel consumption. Around 4.5 millions parts are produced annually using a hardenable 50NiCrMo2.2 steel powder alloy.
Fig. 21 Shift lever in various manufacturing
stages; from right to left, moulded,
sintered, hardened, assembled with shaft.
(Courtesy GKN Sinter Metals, Germany)
Shift lever
This extremely high volume MIM component is part of a passenger car's manual transmission.
The component is shown in the various manufacturing stages: moulded, sintered, hardened, and assembled with a shaft.
The material is Fe-2% Ni. The part is case hardened after sintering.
Turbocharger vane
Fig. 22 MIM diesel turbocharger vane for
automotive applications, manufactured
by Fine Sinter Co.
It is produced using a special tool that has a unique sliding function when opening, reducing deformation during ejection. MIM production offered a 20% cost saving.
The production of MIM superalloy components is now far advanced, with an ever increasing market share. Materials such as Inconel 713 are readily available as MIM feedstocks.
MIM processing, thanks to the finely dispersed powders used, delivers parts with a very homogeneous microstructure, which improves significantly on the microstructure of an investment cast product.
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