jection molding to form complex components was first developed for ceramic components.
 

• Production of a homogeneous powder-binder mix with a high metal powder loading and sufficient viscosity for injection molding
   
• Development of economical binder removal processes providing shape retention
   
• Sintering to high density and dimensional accuracy.
  
   
  
   

  Fig. 2 The metal injection molding process
  (Courtesy IFAM, Germany)
   

The key steps
 

The primary raw materials for MIM are metal powders and a thermoplastic binder. The binder is only an intermediate processing aid and removed from the products after injection molding. The properties of the powder determine the final properties of the MIM product.

The blended powder mix is worked into the plastified binder at elevated temperature using a kneader or shear roll extruder. The intermediate product is the so-called feedstock. It is usually granulated with granule sizes of several millimetres, as is common in the plastic injection molding industry.

Feedstock can either be purchased "ready to mould" from a number of international suppliers, or it can be manufactured in-house by a MIM producer if the necessary skills and knowledge are available.

 

Injection molding

The ‘green’ MIM parts are formed in an injection molding process equivalent to the forming of plastic parts. The variety of part geometries that can be produced by this process are similar to the great variety of plastic components.

 

Binder removal

The subsequent binder removal process serves to obtain parts with an interconnected pore network without destroying the shape of the components. The types of binder removal processes applied are further explained later in this introduction. At the end of the binder removal process there is often still some binder present in the parts holding the metal powder particles together, but the pore network allows to evaporate the residual binder quickly in the initial phase of sintering, at the same time as sintering necks start to grow between the metallic particles.

 

Sintering

The sintering process leads to the elimination of most of the pore volume formerly occupied by the binder. As a consequence, MIM parts exhibit a substantial shrinkage during sintering. The linear shrinkage is usually as high as 15 to 20% (Fig. 3). If required, sintered MIM parts may be further processed by conventional metalworking processes like heat treatments or surface treatments in the same way as cast or wrought parts.

For certain applications, such as the automotive, medical and aerospace sectors, Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) can be used to completely remove any residual porosity. As MIM parts are typically small, this can be relatively cost effective for critical components.

 

 

Fig. 3 MIM part a) as moulded, b) after binder removal, c) after sintering
(Courtesy BASF AG, Germany)