Water-based debinding in Ceramic Injection Moulding (CIM) is widely adopted for its safety and environmental advantages over solvent or catalytic systems. However, conventional water-soluble binders limit processing when fine powders and thick cross sections coincide, as slow extraction can cause residual binder, blistering and cracking during thermal steps. By optimising binder chemistry, thick-walled (>5 mm) components can be processed defect-free, even with ultrafine powders. Dr Rafael Olivera Silva of EnCeram explains how this approach expands the reliable CIM process window.
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Binder Jetting (BJT) continues to attract intense interest as manufacturers search for faster, more economical routes to serial metal part production. Yet despite impressive build speeds and design flexibility, many remain sceptical about Binder Jetting’s readiness for true industrial scale. The bottleneck lies not only in the build process, but in what happens next. Depowdering, still largely manual and labour-intensive, threatens throughput, consistency and safety. In this article, Lea Reineke of Fraunhofer IFAM and Florian Richter from IPH Hannover explain how the QualiJet project aims to change that.
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As power density continues to rise in applications ranging from e-mobility to AI hardware, thermal management is increasingly defining the performance limits of power electronics. Conventional cooling concepts are struggling to keep pace, making system-level optimisation essential. This article presents a coordinated approach to substrate design, high-current interconnection and advanced copper cooling enabled by Metal Injection Moulding, developed jointly by Schweizer Electronic AG, Schunk Sonosystems GmbH and Schunk Sintermetalltechnik GmbH, and authored by Marvin Luceri, Thorsten Klein and Tim Hanika.
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Building on the previous ASTM ICAM 2024 review, Dr Animesh Bose highlights a selected set of ICAM 2025 presentations from the Value Chain track on sinter-based Additive Manufacturing. The 2025 sessions placed less emphasis on introducing new platforms and more on the practical requirements for industrial adoption – feedstock control, debinding and sintering optimisation, distortion and microstructure management, and qualification-relevant process monitoring across the powder-to-part workflow. This review captures how these priorities are shaping the track’s growing maturity and relevance for the Powder Metallurgy community.
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Semiconductor manufacturers increasingly rely on components that can withstand extreme plasma environments while delivering tighter process control and near-zero contamination. To meet these demands, Bosch Advanced Ceramics and Lithoz have transformed a previously two-part injector design into a fully integrated single ceramic component using ceramic Additive Manufacturing. By pairing high-purity alumina with precision AM technology, complex internal geometries could be unlocked, enhancing reliability and performance for advanced wafer production.
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Binder Jetting’s accelerating progress toward industrial production set the tone at Fraunhofer IFAM’s 6th Workshop on Sinter-based Additive Manufacturing, held on October 8-9, 2025, in Bremen, Germany. Alongside Binder Jetting, the programme highlighted advances across the wider family of sinter-based AM processes, with industry and research speakers presenting new applications, cleaner and more stable workflows, and expanding material options. This report, by Fraunhofer IFAM’s Lea Reineke and Michael Norda, reviews the event’s key findings.
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The 21st Plansee Seminar, held in June 2025, provided deep insight into the evolving landscape of sinter-based Additive Manufacturing (AM) for cemented carbides and tungsten heavy alloys. Presentations explored Binder Jetting, Material Extrusion, Direct Ink Writing, and other emerging techniques, with a focus on microstructural control, process–property relationships, and feedstock optimisation. While Binder Jetting remains influential, alternative approaches are gaining traction for finer powders and complex geometries. This article, authored by Bernard North, examines the key technical findings and perspectives shared at the event.
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Recent advances in water-debindable feedstocks are redefining what is possible in Ceramic Injection Moulding (CIM). By combining hydrophilic backbone chemistries with optimised surfactants and plasticisers, these formulations enable faster, safer debinding without compromising performance. This article presents comparative data demonstrating improved flow, reduced thermal load, and successful processing of parts beyond 10 mm wall thickness. Drawing on developments at KRAHN Ceramics GmbH, Dr Thorsten Ohlerth examines kinetics, moulding behaviour, and sintering outcomes that signal a shift towards more sustainable CIM production.
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Binder Jetting has long been heralded as the Additive Manufacturing process most likely to deliver true mass production. Its promise of speed, scalability and lower costs has kept it in focus, but familiar challenges remain: fragile green parts, difficult depowdering, sintering distortion and a narrow materials palette. Atomik believes the answer lies in rethinking the binder itself. Far from being an inert glue, it may be the key to unlocking Binder Jetting’s future, argues the company’s Prof Kate Black.
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The capabilities of Metal Injection Moulding have transformed the design of hinges, unlocking new possibilities in consumer electronics and beyond. By enabling the production of compact, durable, and highly complex components, the technology has allowed engineers to rethink functionality and aesthetics, especially in devices such as foldable smartphones, laptops, and wearables. In this comprehensive review, Dr Chiou Yau Hung (Dr Q) explores how MIM’s unique advantages have influenced hinge innovation, reshaped product design, and opened new frontiers for mechanical systems.
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