Abstract
Metal injection molding (MIM) utilizes a compound consisting of metal powder particles and a binding agent as the feedstock material. The present study combines MIM mold flow simulations with the Taguchi method to clarify the individual and combined effects of the main MIM process parameters on the metal powder concentration distribution in the final sintered product. The results show that the molding process should be performed using a short filling time, a high melt temperature, a low packing pressure, a low mold temperature, and a small gate size. Given these process settings, the powder concentration uniformity and phase separation effect are significantly improved; giving rise to a better aesthetic appearance of the final sintered product and an enhanced mechanical strength.
Highlights
Metal injection molding (MIM) is an emerging technology that combines traditional powder metallurgy, polymer chemistry, and plastic injection molding to accomplish the manufacturing of small and complex parts in bulk quantities [1,2,3,4]
Due to the very small size of the powder particles (~10 micron), the precision and degree of freedom of the molding process are significantly improved, and the density and strength of the molded product following sintering are higher than those produced through conventional powder metallurgy [6]
The Taguchi method significantly reduces the number of experimental trials required to determine the optimal processing conditions compared to conventional trial-and-error methods
Summary
Metal injection molding (MIM) is an emerging technology that combines traditional powder metallurgy, polymer chemistry, and plastic injection molding to accomplish the manufacturing of small and complex parts in bulk quantities [1,2,3,4]. In the MIM process, fine metal or ceramic powder is mixed with a measured amount of binder material to compose a feedstock, and this feedstock is injected into a mold to produce the desired component. Due to the very small size of the powder particles (~10 micron), the precision and degree of freedom of the molding process are significantly improved, and the density and strength of the molded product following sintering are higher than those produced through conventional powder metallurgy [6]. MIM is widely applied nowadays; for the manufacturing of products and components with high complexity, a small size and an exquisite appearance, such as medical supplies, smart phone hanging holes, and consumer electronics products
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