BASF SE, the market leader in feedstocks for Metal Injection Molding (MIM), has expanded its feedstock range with the release of Catamold® motion 8620, a low alloy steel feedstock suited to high performance automotive applications. In this paper, the company’s Marie-Claire Hermant, Rudolf Seiler, and Thorsten Staudt introduce the new feedstock and the strategy behind the move to pre-alloyed, water atomised powders. The properties and performance of the new system are compared with those of the company’s existing Catamold 8620 that uses the master alloy approach. ... Read more »

Whilst many MIM companies choose to purchase commercially available ‘off the shelf’ feedstocks, a significant proportion continue to manufacture their own – or use both routes. Motives can range from a desire to use a proprietary binder composition for specific applications, to simple cost savings. What is critical is that in-house produced feedstocks are manufactured to the highest quality and with excellent batch-to-batch repeatability. In this article, Grant Jamieson, Managing Director of Winkworth Machinery Ltd, reviews the process of mixing, extruding and pelletising MIM feedstocks and introduces a specially-developed machine that combines these three operations. ... Read more »