Type 420 martensitic stainless steel covers a wide carbon range of 0.15% to 0.45%. Demand for this material from the 3C, automotive, biomedical and aerospace industries has been increasing thanks to its combination of moderate corrosion resistance, high hardness, and good tensile properties. In this study, Shu-Hsu Hsieh, Dr Chung-Huei Chueh, and I-Shiuan Chen, from Chenming Electronic Technology Corp. (UNEEC), Taiwan, investigated Nb-alloyed 420 produced using BASF SE’s Catamold 420 W feedstock. Decarburisation was examined in samples processed in both a graphite furnace and a molybdenum lined furnace. Microstructure, phase and hardness variations from the sintered state to each specific stage in heat treatment were also explored. Additionally, the influence of niobium on the formation of intergranular compounds, carbides, and carbonitrides was also assessed in each heat treatment stage for comparison.
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In March 2007, the very first issue of PIM International featured a review of Metal Injection Molding in Asia. China’s MIM industry was estimated as having around twenty MIM firms, many modest in size and of limited capability, with Taiwan accounting for another fifteen. Fast forward less than fifteen years, and Greater China now accounts for half of global Metal Injection Molding production, is a leader in MIM-grade powder production, and is home to a host of production equipment manufacturers. Industry consultant Dr Chiou Yau Hung (Dr Q) assesses just what happened to drive this success: good fortune, good strategy, or a slice of both?
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A technical session, comprising three papers, at the Euro PM2021 Virtual Congress, organised by the European Powder Metallurgy Association (EPMA) and held from October 18–22, 2021, assessed various aspects of the formulation and preparation of feedstocks for Metal Injection Moulding. Dr David Whittaker reports on three papers that addressed solvent debinding efficiency, strategies for enhancing the debinding of polyacetal (POM) feedstocks, and, lastly, an analytical method for enhancing the understanding of the homogeneity of MIM feedstocks and green parts.
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SSI Sintered Specialties, LLC can trace its roots back to the earliest days of Powder Metallurgy in the US. True to its name, that company has over the decades found success through specialisation, in particular stainless steel PM products. This is a theme that continues today, with the company now expanding its horizons through the development of large Metal Injection Molding parts using innovative feedstock technology, and the adoption of metal Binder Jetting. Bernard North visited the company on behalf of PIM International and reports on its plans to remain at the forefront of metal powder based parts production.
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In recent years there has been a surge in interest in sinter-based metal Additive Manufacturing, with many of these technologies adapting the materials used in Metal Injection Moulding. Whilst Binder Jetting (BJT) and Material Extrusion (MEX) processes lead the field in terms of market penetration, sometimes something radically different comes along. This is certainly the case with Germany’s Headmade Materials, whose Cold Metal Fusion (CMF) AM process takes a completely new approach. Dr Georg Schlieper visited the company and reports for PIM International on the company and its technology.
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In this article, Dr Samuel von Karsa-Wilberforce, Emery Oleochemicals, Germany, and co-authors report on the tensile strength of sintered 316L specimens produced via Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), a Material Extrusion (MEX)-based Additive Manufacturing process. The parameters studied include printing nozzle temperature, flow percent or extrusion multiplier and nozzle diameter of print head. The 316L feedstock filaments are based on Emery Oleochemicals’ evolutionary binder system, which has been used in MIM for more than thirty years. The partner in the study for debinding, sintering and mechanical testing is CMG Technologies Ltd, UK.
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The dramatic growth of China’s Metal Injection Moulding industry over the past decade has not only seen MIM producers thrive, but it has driven major investments in metal powder production capabilities. One of the biggest success stories is that of Jingye Lide Additive Manufacturing Co., Ltd., a company whose production has grown from 50 tons of atomised powder in 2009 to 4,000 tons in 2020. It is planning to increase capacity to 40,000 in the near future. Dr Chiou Yau Hung (Dr Q) reports on a recent visit to the company for PIM International.
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As exploration of the potential of metal Binder Jetting (BJT) picks up pace, so does the diversity of materials processed using the technology. At the 2022 World PM Congress, organised by the European Powder Metallurgy Association (EPMA) and held in Lyon, October 9-13, a number of presentations reported on developments that looked at a range of materials with commercial potential for BJT, including aluminium alloys, nickel-free stainless steel, hardmetals (cemented carbides) and metallic glass. Dr David Whittaker reports for PIM International.
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