The September issue of Powder Injection Moulding International includes the following special features.

Feature articles

Feedstock for PIM: production and commercial suppliers
Dr. Georg Schlieper reviews the currently available PIM feedstocks and their raw materials. The manufacturing technologies applied in feedstock preparation and methods for feedstock characterisation are also covered, and profiles of some of the main independent feedstock suppliers are included.

Company visit: BASF, a leader in the supply of ready-to-mould feedstock for metal and ceramic components
BASF SE’s Catamold® feedstock system enjoys a leading position in the powder injection moulding industry. PIM International visited BASF’s manufacturing complex at Ludwigshafen.

PM2008 World Congress Review Part 1: Modelling enhances PIM processing
A group of five separate papers at the PM2008 World Congress, held in Washington DC, June 2008, highlighted the continuing focus on enhancing the capabilities of PIM through the use of computer simulation or modelling. Dr. David Whittaker reports on some of the presentations.

PIM supply chain exhibits wares at the PM2008 World Congress
For anyone with interests in PIM part production, either as an established manufacturer seeking to expand on their current base or someone contemplating a new entry into the technology, solutions to the full range of technical needs were on show at the exhibition associated with PM2008, the World PM Congress, held in Washington D.C., June 8-12, 2008.

MPIF award winning MIM parts 2008
Winners of the 2008 MPIF’s PM Design Excellence Awards Competition were announced at the PM2008 World Congress. The following winning parts are further excellent examples of metal injection moulding’s ability to deliver efficient solutions to complex engineering components.

Company visit: Arburg sets the pace in the production of moulding machines for PIM
Arburg GmbH + Co KG is for many synonymous with injection moulding machines for PIM. With their trademark yellow and green livery, the company’s machines are a common sight in PIM factories from Europe through to America and Asia. Nick Williams, Editor of Powder Injection Moulding International, reports from his recent visit to Arburg’s headquarters and manufacturing complex at Lossburg, deep in the heart of Germany’s Black Forest.

Company visit: Egide: Strong demand from the medical sector drives growth for UK PIM producer
Egide UK is a producer of metal and ceramic injection moulded components for a diverse array of end-user sectors. Based in the UK, but with customers throughout the world, their success in recent years clearly suggests a bright future for the niche production of PIM components. We report on a recent visit.

Debinding strategy for injection moulded ceramic components
A universal debinding strategy from the Fraunhofer Institute of Silicate Research (Fraunhofer-SIC) in Würzburg, Germany, speeds up debinding of CIM parts.

Technical papers

Liquid infiltration property of micro-porous stainless steel produced by powder space holder method
Kazuaki Nishiyabu, Satoru Matsuzaki, Shigeo Tanaka

A production method for micro-porous metal components has been developed by applying the powder space holder (PSH) method to metal powder injection moulding (MIM) process. This paper deals with the liquid infiltration property of micro-porous metals produced by the PSH method. The material used is high-corrosion resistant austenitic stainless steel......

Cooling performance of tube X-COOLER shaped by MIM technology
B. S. Zlatkov, H. Danninger and O.S.Aleksic

An advanced X-COOLER was produced by MIM (metal injection moulding) technology as a regular array of thin Cu tubes on a carrier copper plate used as motherboard plate. This cooler was designed to serve as a CPU active and passive heat sink. Its thermal properties were measured and compared to those of Cu heat sinks produced by precision forging technology of copper and Al heat sinks produced by the cold forging technology of aluminium......

Micro-channelled heat exchanger manufactured by Ceramic Injection Moulding and co-firing
Luc Federzoni and Pascal Revirand

This work concerns the development of an innovative processing route for manufacturing a new design of ceramics micro-channelled heat exchanger. The manufacture is based principally on the Ceramic Injection Moulding process of the different elements of the micro-channelled heat exchanger. Furthermore, the different elements are co-fired in order to produce the part. The micro-channelled heat exchanger is characterised by a complex network of inner channels........