PIM International, Vol. 17 No. 2 Summer 2023

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The 116-page Summer 2023 issue of PIM International (Vol. 17 No. 2) features over forty pages of industry news, plus the following articles and technical reviews:

Evaluating Metal Injection Moulding as a green production technology

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 Moulding 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 MIM as a green technology within this context.

Simulating sintering furnaces: A ‘check-and-act’ solution to optimse MIM and sinter-based AM production

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.

Don’t panic! A hitchhiker’s guide to metal Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)

This is a story from what once looked like the edge of the metal Additive Manufacturing universe. A decade ago, the idea of a MIM 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! 

MIM2023: Industry insights from the International Conference on Injection Moulding of Metals, Ceramics and Carbides

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 MIM 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.

Greening MIM: How Arburg is supporting energy and cost reductions in injection moulding facilities

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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