In recent years metal injection molding technology is mainly developing in two directions: The expansion of the material
system. High reliability of production equipment developed to meet the unique binder and degreasing technology. It has
the following characteristics:
The multi-directional development material system. MIM is an ideal near net forming technology, is able to form the
shape that close to eventually needed economically, only need little or no need to post processing after sintering. This
becomes more and more important in industrialized production and application of the ceramic. In the production of
precision ceramic, it is mainly applied to the carbide, metal ceramics, inorganic nonmetal ceramics, intermetallic
compounds etc.
Take zirconia ceramic fiber pin (ferrules) as an example, use injection molding technology to produce green bodies can
greatly shorten the subsequent processing time. Due to the blank has been formed in the cavity has hole with a certain
accuracy, the subsequent grinding process was reduced to a third or a quarter of extrusion forming, so as to improve the
production efficiency, and reduce the production cost sharply.
Wearproof tool materials in the development of actual cobalt base alloy, W alloy, carbide, Al2O3-30 tic composite cutting
tool ceramics, MULLITE (MULLITE), SiC, Si3N4, etc. Injection molding is also applied to other materials, such as
SiC/Al composite materials, tool steel, titanium alloy, non-magnetic cemented carbide, W/Cu alloy, rare earth permanent
magnet materials, KOVAR alloy, etc.
Diversity of binder and multi-channel of defatted technology. Acetate ester as substrate, polyethylene glycol (peg)
polymer as matrix and acrylic polymer as matrix, AGAR as the matrix numerous of binder system have further
development and application. Computer aided control thermal degreasing and solvent degreasing technology, catalytic
defatted technology, and freeze drying technology, microwave auxiliary drying technology was used in the study of binder
skim. And the successful application of these techniques, on the one hand, greatly shorten the degreasing time (from
several days to a few hours). On the other hand has realized the control of polymer decomposition reaction of volatile
products that generated in the process of degreasing, so as to more effectively eliminates the defects in the process of
degreasing.
The predictable, along with the further research, development and application of metal injection molding. In the near
future, MIM technology will develop as an attractive net shaping preparation technology that parallel to machining,
precision casting, pressing/sintering process. It will be known and accepted by more and more workpiece designer.
