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PM2010: Case studies highlight global successes of Metal and Ceramic Injection Moulding
Feature article: PIM International, Vol.4 No.4 December 2010, pages 48-54, 3003 words
A Special Interest Seminar on the final morning of the PM2010 World Congress held in Florence brought together a number of industry leaders from around the world who presented case studies on successful, and in some cases not so successful, applications of metal and ceramic injection moulding technology.
PIM International reports on some of the highlights of these presentations.
North America: Non-Medical applications
Matt Bulger of NetShape Technologies Inc and President of the Metal Injection Moulding Association (MIMA), covered a number of non-medical case studies on behalf of North American MIM producers.
He began by outlining some of the challenges MIM producers have to overcome vis-à-vis competing manufacturing processes such as investment casting, machining, fine blanking, etc.
For a start, Bulger stated that MIM materials are typically more expensive, the process often has more processing steps and MIM equipment cost is high, especially sintering furnaces which involve long cycles and low output. “And the 15-20% shrinkage rate in MIM is a process variable that concerns customers”, said Bulger. “Size is also an issue”, he continued. “Whilst MIM can achieve better and finer detail (0.25 mm) than investment casting which struggles with 1 mm features, the bigger the piece then the better investment casting performs in both quality and price.
Thus MIM usually wins for parts less than 100 g with <40 mm part envelope, and investment casting wins on parts larger than that.”
Bulger said that one of the greatest motivations for some customers to use MIM is to see their competitors using the technology. “Fear of being left behind by your competition is highly motivating”, he said. Examples of this came in the early 1980s when Remington and Millett Sights began producing MIM parts for firearms.
By the early 1990s nearly all North American firearm manufacturers were using MIM parts. A similar story was given for MIM in orthodontics which made its breakthrough in the 1980s and is now routinely used for many orthodontic parts, and more.........
Further sections of this paper include:
- North America
- Non-Medical applications
- Medical Applications
- Asia
- High precision MIM watch part
- MIM/CIM Dental Applications
- Europe
- Broadening the appeal of MIM
Figures and Tables:
Fig. 1 A MIM part by Megamet which has a complex internal geometry, achieved by using an acetal core (see inset image)Fig. 2 A thin-wall MIM part produced from fine ~10 µm NiMoFe powder for use in a hearing aid receiver can. From presentation by M. Bulger at PM2010 World PM Congress PIM Special Interest Seminar (Courtesy EPMA)
Fig. 3 MicroMIM contact part developed by NetShape Technologies weighing just 0.007g for use in a medical pacemaker. From presentation by M. Bulger at PM2010 World PM Congress PIM Special Interest Seminar (Courtesy EPMA)
Fig. 4 MIM housing manufactured by NetShape Technologies and used in the telecommunications sector. From presentation by M. Bulger at PM2010 World PM Congress PIM Special Interest Seminars (Courtesy EPMA)
Fig. 5 Low alloy steel lock bolt manufactured by Kinetics Climax and used in a multi-joint gliding window lock system. From presentation by M. Bulger at PM2010 World PM Congress PIM Special Interest Seminar (Courtesy EPMA)
Fig. 6 Orthodontic system bracket, slide and hook produced by FloMet LLC and winner of the 2007 MPIF Grand Prize. From presentation by A. Bose at PM2010 World PM Congress PIM Special Interest Special Interest Seminar (Courtesy EPMA)
Fig. 7 High precision MIM watch part made by Epson Atmix having large variations in section thicknesses. From presentation by T. Takahashi at PM2010 World PM Congress PIM Special Interest Seminar (Courtesy EPMA)
Fig. 8 Advanced water atomised powder (PF-5F) from Epson Atmix. From presentation by T. Takahashi at PM2010 World PM Congress PIM Special Interest Seminar (Courtesy EPMA)
Fig. 9 MIM endo tips having 50 µm and 100 µm projections on the top section of the tip. From presentation by S. J. Park at PM2010 World PM Congress PIM Special Interest Seminar (Courtesy EPMA)
Fig. 10 CIM zirconia dental post with micro patterns to improve retention properties. From presentation by S. J. Park at PM2010 World PM Congress PIM Special Interest Seminar (Courtesy EPMA)
Fig. 11 Micro-MIM locking element part manufactured by Parmaco and used in an electronic door access system. From presentation by B. Vicenzi at PM2010 World PM Congress PIM Special Interest Seminar (Courtesy EPMA)
Fig. 12 MIM low alloy steel seat belt component manufactured by MimEcrisa for the aerospace sector. From presentation by B. Vicenzi at PM2010 World PM Congress PIM Special Interest Seminar (Courtesy EPMA)
Fig. 13 Complex shaped backing case manufactured by Alliance for a luxury watch mimics an aerospace turbine engine. From presentation by B. Vicenzi at PM2010 World PM Congress PIM Special Interest Seminar (Courtesy EPMA)
Fig. 14 Production process for the aerospace turbine engine themed watch case. From presentation by B. Vicenzi at PM2010 World PM Congress PIM Special Interest Seminar (Courtesy EPMA)
Fig. 15 Diamond injection moulded monolithic beads manufactured by MIMITALIA and used in stone cutting. From presentation by B. Vicenzi at PM2010 World PM Congress PIM Special Interest Seminar (Courtesy EPMA)
Fig. 16 Lost core technique increases the grade of complexity in MIM parts. From presentation by I. Langer & R. W-E. Stein at PM2010 World PM Congress PIM Special Interest Seminar (Courtesy EPMA)
Fig. 17 MIM levers manufactured by Schunk Sintermetalltechnik for adjusting vanes in aerospace turbine engines. From presentation by I. Langer & R. W-E. Stein at PM2010 World PM Congress PIM Special Interest Seminar (Courtesy EPMA)
Table 1 Comparison of mechanical properties of MIM Ti6Al4V proposed for a new ASTM Standard. From presentation by A. Bose at PM2010 World PM Congress PIM Special Interest Seminar (Courtesy EPMA)
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