Feature article: PIM International, Vol.1 No. 2 June 2007, pages 40-44, 2811 words

Author: Bernard Williams, Consultant, Shrewsbury, UK

Introduction

Powder injection moulding (PIM) has benefited significantly from financial support provided for cross-border collaborative research projects funded by various European R and D programmes over the past 15 years or so. The following review summarises some of the projects which have been undertaken - and in most cases completed, and those which are ongoing or have just begun.

There is no better way for a relatively young manufacturing technology such as PIM to gain acceptance and credibility in the market place than by the players in the field pooling their resources in order to provide potential end-users with as much data as possible on the design possibilities, mechanical properties, and competitiveness of their PIM products. Much has been already been achieved in this regard by the efforts not only of individual PIM companies but also of PIM-related trade associations and groups such as MIMA (North America), MIM Group of JPMA (Japan), German MIM Expertenkreis (see March 2007 PIM International), Austrian PIM Group (see this issue), and the EPMA’s EuroMIM group through industry networking, standards, literature, promotion, and disseminating information on new developments.

As is pointed out in a separate feature in this issue of PIM International, the global PIM industry has also spent considerable sums of money on research and development over the past two decades for new materials and applications, and to develop a greater understanding of the PIM process. However, it is only in Europe where PIM has appeared to benefit the most from public funding for collaborative, pre-competititve research across a number of industry sectors such as aerospace, ferrous alloys, permanent magnets, ceramics, hardmetals, jewellery, etc. This has undoubtedly helped to put the PIM industry on the map, and has contributed to the industry’s continuing commercial success in this region.

The European Commission’s Framework R and D programmes, which have been running since 1984, are the EU’s primary vehicle for collaborative research funding. These have over the past 15 years financially supported a host of cross-border PIM projects bringing together European powder and feedstock producers, moulding machine and sintering furnace manufacturers, PIM companies - which are mainly SMEs, and research centres. The 6th EU Framework Programme (January 2003 to December 2006) provided around EUR...

Further sections of this article include:

- Complex Shaped Advanced Ceramics
- Net-Shaping and Property Enhancement of Intermetallics
- MIM of Superalloy Components
- Thematic Network on European Standards for MIM
- Lightweight Electronic Power Packages and Encapsulating for Hybrid Semiconductor Devices
- Cost Effective Fabrication of PIM Components by Medium Pressure Injection Moulding
- High Performance Ferrites Obtained by PIM
- Injection Moulding of Hollow Components
- Innovative Method for Jewellery Design and Manufacture
- Low Pressure Injection Moulding of Aqueous Ceramic Suspensions
- Final Properties of Components to Mould and Process Design in MIM
- Cutting Tools and Miniature Parts with Complex Geometry based on Nano Powders
- Injection Moulding of Titanium Powders for Biomedical Applications
- Optimisation of PIM using Advanced Moulding Simulations (PIMSIM)
- New Material Laws for Powder Injection Moulding Feedstocks ( MATLAW)
- Summary

Figures and Tables:

Fig. 1 Medium pressure injection moulding (MPIM) machine developed at GOCERAM, Sweden

Fig. 2 Selection of metal and ceramic parts produced by medium pressure injection moulding. (Photo courtesy GOCERAM)

Fig. 3 MIM hinge for Tag Heuer sunglasses. (Courtesy of OBE Ohnmacht and Baumgärtner GmbH)

Fig. 4 MIM Ti alloy compression screw. (Courtesy: Tricumed Medizintechnik GmbH, Germany)

Fig. 5 Tensile test specimen and the process parameters

Fig. 6 Moldex3d® plastic injection moulding software will be adapted for simulating flow behaviour and binder segregation in PIM