Feature article: PIM International, Vol.3 No. 3 September 2009, pages 23-34, 6951 words

Authors: Dr. Tassilo Moritz & Dr. Reinhard Lenk, IKTS, Germany

Fraunhofer-Institut für Keramische Technologien und Systeme (IKTS), Winterbergstraße 28, 01277 Dresden, Germany

Ceramic injection moulding (CIM) is a well established process for the mass production of complex shaped ceramic components. In the following review Dr. Tassilo Moritz and Dr. Reinhard Lenk from the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS), Dresden, show how process and material developments have opened up a new world of possibilities for CIM, from micro parts to automotive, electronics and engineering solutions.

In July 1938 a method for making a refractory body was patented by the US patent office. Karl Schwartzwalder claimed in his patent a “method of making ceramic articles which consists in preparing a mixture of finely ground non-plastic ceramic material, and a resinous binder, forming a body from there by application of pressure, reforming said body by application of pressure and heat in sufficient degree to make the binder to flow thereby distributing the forming pressure throughout the body, permitting the body to harden and firing the hardened body to expel the binder and cause the non-plastic material to sinter together” [1].

Independently from this, in November 1940, Klinger et al. obtained a German patent claiming a method of producing spark plugs by injecting a ceramic compound with the addition of organic binders into a mould by application of pressure [2]. Thus, 70 years ago, ceramic injection moulding (CIM) was born – a shaping method which still today is the most efficient processing route for the high volume production of ceramic components with complex geometry.....

Further sections of this article include:

- Classification and process variants
- The processing cycle
- Binder systems and debinding concepts
- Injection moulding process: parameters, defects, proofing
- MicroCIM
- Multicomponent PIM
- Special process variants
- Summary and outlook
- References

Figures and Tables:

Fig. 1 Application areas of different ceramic shaping technologies in dependence on the lot size and the complexity of components geometry [16]
Fig. 2 Schematic view of the processing chain for ceramic injection moulding
Fig. 3 Nozzle body for cooling systems of power stations with hot moulding tool (Courtesy MicroCeram GmbH)
Fig. 4 Advanced ceramic components made by micro-injection moulding (Courtesy Rauschert Heinersdorf-Pressig GmbH)
Fig. 5 Ceramic gear wheel in the green and sintered state made by two-component CIM combining alumina and zirconia toughened alumina (Courtesy Fraunhofer IKTS, designed by Robert Bosch GmbH)
Fig. 6 Thread stopper (Courtesy Fraunhofer IKTS, designed by Rauschert Heinersdorf-Pressig GmbH)
Fig. 7 Watch lunette (Courtesy BRÖLL GmbH)
Fig. 8 Electrically conductive CIM part made of TiO2, embedded in an injection-moulded plastic assembly (Courtesy Kläger Spritzguss GmbH & Co. KG)
Fig. 9 Thread guide (Courtesy BRÖLL GmbH)
Fig. 10 Cooling box for electrical components (Courtesy Fraunhofer IKTS)