Green density optimization of stainless steel powder via metal injection molding by Taguchi method

Am Amin,Omf Marwah,Mhi Ibrahim,My Hashim,Mh Othman,Muhammad Akmal Johar,Ch Ng,M.N Nik Hisyamudin,M.B Mohd Faizal,Md J Mohd Azlis Sani,I Al Emran,T.A Ahmad Mubarak,I Mohd Rasidi,M Sofian,K Amir,Z Izzuddin

doi:10.1051/matecconf/201713500038

Abstract

Metal injection moulding (MIM) has gains much attention due to its ability in producing large amount of small part with complex geometry and intricate shape. In order to obtain better shape retention, optimum density of green part is required. This paper deals with the application of Taguchi method in optimising the green density of moulded components base on parameters setting in plastic injection moulding machine. For this purposes only 7 process parameters were considered here are injection pressure, injection temperature, cooling time, injection speed, injection time, packing time and mould temperature. An orthogonal array of L27 experimental base design was conducted. Base on the experimental results, cooling time plays significant contribution to density followed by injection pressure, time, speed, mould temperature, packing time and injection temperature. Confirmation test was done base on optimization level for each factors and shows good results in green density of the injected moulded samples.

Highlights

Metal injection moulding is a manufacturing process with a capability of producing complex geometry and intricate parts from mixing of metals, ceramic or cermet powder with combination of polymers, wax and surfactant [1] with a few shot as compare to other fabrication process [2]–[4]
Effect of powders and binders on injection moulding parameters has been analysed by Ahn et al [3] where they indicate that the binder plays critical role in minimizing the injection pressure, clamping, temperature, cooling time and velocity
Application of Design of experimental (DOE) in Metal injection moulding (MIM) is continued by Yakimov and Coyle [9] where they use full factorial design in determining the factors that affecting the thermal debinding processes

Summary

Introduction

Metal injection moulding is a manufacturing process with a capability of producing complex geometry and intricate parts from mixing of metals, ceramic or cermet powder with combination of polymers, wax and surfactant [1] with a few shot as compare to other fabrication process [2]–[4]. Effect of powders and binders on injection moulding parameters has been analysed by Ahn et al [3] where they indicate that the binder plays critical role in minimizing the injection pressure, clamping, temperature, cooling time and velocity. Taguchi parameter design applied to investigate and optimize the process involved in MIM has been implemented by Ji et al.[7] using Taguchi’s method in optimizing the sintering parameters with L9 orthogonal arrays with four factors and 3-level design in their experimental data [13] of sintering. 316 L stainless steel feedstock which contains of restaurant waste lipids (RWL) and polypropylene (PP) as binder with ratio of 40/60 respectively was moulded via injection moulding process and the parameters setting was optimized using Taguchi method for obtaining the optimum density of the green compacts. Orthogonal array of L27 with 7 factors and 3 levels factor were used in determining the optimized parameter for injected optimum green density of the moulded parts

Experimental work

Fraction in binder

SS NN

Findings

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