PIM International, Vol. 7 No. 3 September 2013
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In addition to 35+ pages of news from the metal and ceramic injection moulding industry, the 96 page September 2013 issue of Powder Injection Moulding International (Vol.7 No.3) includes the following articles and special features:
Optimising mould design and function for Powder Injection Moulding
PIM offers many more creative possibilities than conventional machining processes, however when quality problems arise it is usually the case that the mould is not optimally designed for the processing of feedstocks. Hartmut Walcher and Marko Maetzig, from Arburg GmbH + Co KG, discuss the specific requirements that a PIM mould must satisfy and outline measures that can enable component quality to be significantly increased.
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Maxon Motor GmbH: A PIM manufacturer driven by precision
The Swiss tradition of manufacturing high precision components and mechanisms is alive and well at the Maxon Motor plant in Sexau, Germany. Here Switzerland’s Maxon Motor group has a PIM operation for the production of metal and ceramic components for both in-house use and external customers. Dr Georg Schlieper reports for PIM International on a recent visit.
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Arburg celebrates 50 years of PIM expertise with a major international conference
Arburg GmbH + Co KG recently celebrated 50 years of involvement with PIM by organising a major international conference for customers and partners at its headquarters in Lossburg, Germany. We report on event highlights.
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Developments in PIM materials and processing at PowderMet 2013 Chicago
Although the increasing popularity of MPIF’s spring MIM conference has, to some extent, diminished the coverage of the technology at its international all-subject summer conference, there remained more than enough content at PowderMet 2013 to capture the attention of MIM devotees. Dr David Whittaker reports for PIM International.
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LÖMI: New developments in solvent and water debinding systems for MIM and CIM
Germany’s LÖMI GmbH is widely recognised as a market leader in the production of explosion-proof solvent debinding furnaces for PIM. As water debinding becomes more important for PIM producers, the company reports on the latest innovations in its range of debinding systems for the industry.
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The development of an innovative continuous belt furnace for the high temperature sintering of MIM and CIM products
Centorr Vacuum Industries, based in Nashua, New Hampshire, USA, has specialised in the development, engineering, design and manufacture of vacuum and controlled atmosphere furnaces since 1954. In the following paper the company introduces a unique low mass, fast throughput belt furnace design that operates in ultra clean environments of inert or process hydrogen gas that can be used over a wide temperature range from 1000°C up to 2800°C. While this continuous furnace design is not suitable for all applications, if considered for the right process, it can provide the combined benefits of fast cycle times in an oxygen free atmosphere.
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New two-unit one step batch debinding and clean sintering system for improved efficiency and carbon control in the MIM process
Elino Industrie-Ofenbau GmbH, Düren, Germany, has developed a new batch furnace system specifically for the Powder Injection Moulding (PIM) process. Consisting of two units, the first unit has been developed for the complete debinding of MIM parts, from initial catalytic debinding to thermal residual debinding and pre-sintering up to 950°C, with changeable atmosphere during the process. The second unit is designed for very clean sintering that is free from carbon contamination and can be operated under different process gases and vacuum up to maximum sintering temperature of 1450°C on the standard system, or 1600°C on an upgraded system.
The main advantages of the new system are fast production, the avoidance of carbon pick up especially in Mo, W, and Fe alloys, longer life time of hot zone and heating elements, and improved cost efficiency. This two furnace system has been tested with 316 L and 17-4 PH materials and the technology was able to deliver sintered densities of 7.70 g/cm³ and 7.65 g/cm³ respectively without any distortion in the MIM parts.
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MIM industry expansion: What does it mean for vacuum furnace technology?
With the MIM industry on the rise and expanding across an increasing number of sectors, requirements have been set to ensure that the quality of MIM parts is consistently high and MIM processing equipment is accurate and efficient. Debinding and sintering furnace performance needs to advance concurrently in order to accommodate these requirements without sacrificing cost-effective operation. Ipsen Inc. outlines how it has incorporated new technologies to address MIM part quality and economical operation concerns.
This paper specifically illustrates how its furnaces’ temperature uniformity, hot zone design, process gas management and binder removal systems can combat many of the common problems part manufacturers face when looking to fulfil increasing capacity requirements while also reducing manufacturing cost per part. Such technical advantages are crucial in staying ahead in the booming MIM industry.
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