Read the March 2020 issue of PIM International
March 26, 2020
The March 2020 issue of Powder Injection Moulding International (Vol. 14 No. 1), the magazine for Metal and Ceramic Injection Moulding and sinter-based Additive Manufacturing, has been released and is now available to read for free online or download in pdf format. This issue features 55 pages of industry news, plus the following articles and technical reviews:
Metal Injection Moulding in China: Market opportunities and research activities
Despite a broad economic slowdown, manufacturing in China is transitioning to an innovation-driven model. The country’s Metal Injection Moulding industry has grown rapidly with the demand for high-performance products; currently, over four hundred Chinese MIM companies are active, producing a range of small, complex parts.
New production equipment is also constantly emerging and a number of research institutions have invested in this field, further promoting the development of the industry.
Prof Yimin Li, of China’s State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy and Research Centre for Materials Science and Engineering, along with associates, reviews the markets, application fields, technology and research status of the MIM industry in China.
A beginner’s guide to three leading sinter-based metal Additive Manufacturing technologies
To overcome the limitations of currently available Additive Manufacturing technologies for metals, sinter-based AM methods are seeing increasing attention for the single-piece and small- to medium-scale production of precision parts.
Current development efforts are concentrated on Material Extrusion, Binder Jetting and Vat Photopolymerisation, which may also have potential to open up the closely related Metal Injection Moulding market for smaller quantity production runs. This is particularly the case in applications where the amortisation of MIM tooling costs is a commercial issue.
Prof Dr Carlo Burkhardt presents an overview of how these technologies work and highlights their current strengths and weaknesses.
MIM superalloys: The effect of lower-cost nitrogen atomisation on properties of sintered IN713C
Metal Injection Moulded nickel base superalloy parts are today found in the most demanding service environments, including aerospace and power generation applications. In the automotive sector, MIM has been challenging investment casting for the production of IN713C turbocharger wheels. While MIM offers numerous advantages, powder cost is a major consideration, particularly where argon atomisation is needed for Ti and Al.
Here, Sandvik Osprey and Chenming Electronic Technology Corp. (UNEEC) explore the effect of lower-cost nitrogen atomisation on properties of sintered IN713C. Elevated temperature tensile testing has been performed on sintered parts and the effect of nitrogen on microstructural development is compared with conventional argon-atomised IN713C.
Euro PM2019: Innovations in Powder Injection Moulding process simulation and control
A technical session at the Euro PM2019 Congress, organised by the European Powder Metallurgy Association (EPMA) and held in Maastricht, the Netherlands, October 13–16, 2019, focused on aspects of process control, including process simulation, in Powder Injection Moulding.
The session programme consisted of a number of papers from international academia and industry, looking at key areas such as numerical simulation and analysis with regard to sintering, debinding and other steps in the PIM process. Dr David Whittaker reports on behalf of PIM International.
Read the free digital edition online or download in pdf format today.
