Since the earliest days of Metal Injection Moulding’s commercialisation in Europe, in the early 1990s, Swiss company Parmaco Metal Injection Molding AG has been instrumental in perfecting the process for the most advanced applications. As well as a focus on ‘Swiss precision’, producing MIM parts to the highest dimensional accuracy, the company is also renowned for the production of complex microMIM® components. Dr Georg Schlieper reports on a recent visit to the company for PIM International.
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The 4th Workshop on Sinter-based Additive Manufacturing, organised by Fraunhofer IFAM, in Bremen, Germany, took place from September 13-14 2023. It convened global experts to discuss advancements and challenges in the field. The workshop explored the maturation and potential applications of sinter-based AM technologies and highlighted the latest technical advances. Sonja Böske da Costa reports on the workshop’s presentations and discussions.
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Metal Injection Moulding has been the technology of choice for the micro robotics industry for many years, delivering micro-sized precision metal components in medium to high volumes. As the complexity and number of applications increases, there is an opportunity for accelerated product development and more flexible manufacturing through the combination of sinter-based Additive Manufacturing and Computational Engineering. Here, Dr Gerald Mitteramskogler, Josefine Lissner and Dr Stefan Bindl consider how these technologies can be combined for the best possible results.
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The potential of sinter-based Additive Manufacturing for industrial production, along with the diversity of the processes that are being developed, continues to surprise. Switzerland’s Exentis Group AG has taken its own path to commercial success with what it terms ‘Additive Screen Printing’, and its speed and precision is delivering growth and opening up opportunities around the world. Dr Georg Schlieper reports on a recent visit to the company for PIM International.
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Titanium has long been recognised as a material with huge potential. Lightweight with excellent mechanical properties, it is also corrosion resistant and biocompatible. However, the challenge has always been cost – in part because of difficulties in machining. The Metal Injection Moulding of titanium – and more recently Binder Jetting – now present major opportunities to expand the material’s use. TriTech Titanium Parts, LLC is seizing this opportunity – whilst simultaneously maximising the scope of what it can manufacture by offering Investment Casting. Bernard North visited the company for PIM International.
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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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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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