Whilst Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) and sinter-based Additive Manufacturing processes such as Binder Jetting (BJT) are already recognised as ‘greener’ technologies than conventional processes such as casting, the drive towards energy efficiency in the sintering process is crucial to further reduce the product carbon footprint of sintered parts. Here, Plansee High Performance Materials, a Plansee Group company, introduces a new generation of hot zones that reduce energy consumption by as much as 27% – while maintaining high performance.
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Metal Injection Moulding is one of the most capable manufacturing processes for small precision components, yet it is also one of the least well known. MIM parts are everywhere, from smartphones to watches, cars to aircraft – but these examples are rarely noticed by those outside of the industry. Here, we present the 2023 award-winning MIM and sinter-based AM parts from the Metal Powder Industries Federation’s Powder Metallurgy Design Excellence Awards. These examples offer an insight into the technology, as well as the opportunity for product designers and engineers to consider how they might use MIM in their own projects.
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The Japan Powder Metallurgy Association’s (JPMA) annual statistics report on Metal Injection Moulding provides unique insight into the ongoing evolution of the country’s MIM industry. As well as revealing a continued upsurge in production in 2022, changes in the applications and materials mix offer visibility into growth areas for the industry. We present the published data along with insight from the JPMA into wider factors that influenced the broader Japanese PM industry in 2022.
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Sustainability is a topic that concerns all of us, from individuals to societies and industries. As we face increasingly difficult environmental challenges, discussions about sustainability and our contribution towards it are ongoing in many areas of our daily lives. This is, of course, also true for the Metal Injection Molding industry. Whilst MIM is already considered a green technology compared to alternative processes, there are still considerable opportunities for improvement that can be identified through life cycle assessment and carbon footprint analysis. Dr Frank Petzoldt and Dr Sebastian Boris Hein consider the complex task of evaluating Metal Injection Molding as a green technology within this context.
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The consistent high quality of sintered parts produced by Metal Injection Moulding, or
AM processes such as Binder Jetting, can only be achieved with stable manufacturing
conditions. Inhomogeneous and transient temperatures in sintering furnaces are
one area where variability can be difficult to manage. This article outlines how
simulation can lead to an optimal set up for the sintering process – or at least a
best compromise – via the assessment of many possible process variations. Dr Götz
Hartmann and Dr Wilfried Schäfer, MAGMA GmbH, and Dr Jesper Thorborg, Technical
University of Denmark, share the results of recent research.
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This is a story from what once looked like the edge of the metal Additive Manufacturing universe. A decade ago, the idea of a Metal Injection Molding feedstock-like filament for Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) was the stuff of beer talk, but then things started to happen. Through a Facebook group called ‘FFF Metal 3D printing’ I discovered what felt like an underground community, driven by the seemingly impossible prospect of ‘printing metal’ on a shoestring budget. Amongst the dramatic images of failed builds and small piles of melted steel, posts by Sascha Lenze stood out. Here, he shares the story of L.B. Bohle Maschinen und Verfahren GmbH’s journey towards the Material Extrusion (MEX) of metal-containing filaments for industrial applications. Welcome to the new frontier!
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The 2023 International Conference on Injection Moulding of Metals, Ceramics and Carbides (MIM2023), organised by the Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF)’s Metal Injection Molding Association (MIMA), was held in Costa Mesa, California, USA, from February 27 to March 1, 2023. As well as being the annual meeting point of the US Metal Injection Molding community, the event attracts an international audience and has broadened in scope to include sinter-based Additive Manufacturing processes. Dr Animesh Bose reviews some highlights from the MIM2023 technical programme.
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Arburg GmbH + Co KG, Lossburg, Germany, a pioneer in the use of
sustainable energy in its own operations, is now leveraging that expertise
to support its customers in their mission to reduce energy consumption
and improve the sustainability of injection moulding operations. Here,
the company reports on its ‘Action Plan: Energy’, launched earlier this
year, which has the specific goal of identifying and implementing a broad
range of energy- and cost-saving opportunities.
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From the creation of increasingly elaborate high-strength components with complex geometries to decorative elements, Metal Injection Molding has become the go-to manufacturing process for the eyewear industry. Italy’s Visottica Group is a leading supplier to this sector and, in recent years, has expanded its capabilities through acquisitions, resulting in the optimisation of the entire production chain. Luca van der Heide reports for PIM International.
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Over the last decade, the Metal Injection Molding industry enjoyed dramatic growth on the back of the rise of applications in smartphones. There are indications, however, that the tide is turning and the industry can no longer rely on the types of components that it once produced by MIM in the tens of millions a month. Here, Dr Chiou (Dr Q) reflects on the rise of MIM in the consumer electronics industry and explains what Chinese producers are doing to grow their businesses in Metal Injection Molding’s post-smartphone era.
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