Powder Metallurgy MIM Process In Electronic Industry

141

Iphone series phones continue to create the sales miracle in the field of digital electronics, mainly due to the iphone mobile phone appearance design of metal. A few years ago, the iphone’s metal shell mobile phones led the trend of metal products. Many mobile phone brands have begun to pay attention to the appearance of a mobile phone metal design, metal material widely, stronger than traditional plastic chassis, wear-resisting, resistance to fall off.It is better than traditional plastic material on the mechanical properties of the metal material, can processing appearance style also is more, after polishing, wire drawing and other surface treatment of the aircraft skin more beautiful than a single plastic material.

MIM, or metal injection molding, is a process that introduces modern plastic injection molding technology into the field of powder metallurgy, and is a new “near-net-shape” technology for components that combines plastic molding technology, polymer chemistry, powder metallurgy technology and metal materials science. MIM technology has become a rapidly developing and promising new “near-net-shape” technology in the international powder metallurgy field, and is praised by the industry as the “hottest component forming technology” today. 

Alot of mobile phone metal parts a lot of use of metal injection molding process. So electronic products matching shell and other accessories suppliers need to adjust the product structure and production line, the procurement of metal powder forming and related equipment and design special MIM mold.

In current metal powder materials demand growth,suppliers need to have magnesium alloy die-casting, CNC metal shell, powder metallurgy metal components, LDS antennas, strengthen new optical glass materials, new technology and manufacturing capabilities.

Electronic products shell metallization has brought the new trend in metal appearance design, for the metal injection molding shell products bring broad market space.

Automobile and motorcycle with powder metallurgy parts include: CAM, gear, sprocket, bar, fasteners, support structure, bearing, impeller and hydraulic parts, etc.

In the field of consumer electronics, the increase in the penetration rate of folding screens is expected to become a new outbreak point for MIM process consumer electronics applications, as well as new products such as smart wearable devices and smart watches. In terms of automobiles, China’s MIM share is low. Under the background of automobile lightweighting and low-carbon production, it is expected to be applied in engine parts, turbocharger parts, seat mechanisms and sensor parts. MIM process has obvious advantages in quality and cost.

Automobile and motorcycle with powder metallurgy parts can reduce the cost, because the powder metallurgy process has the following advantages:

1.High material utilization.

2.Low energy consumption, can be energy saving.

3.Production volume, the lower the production cost, is very suitable for mass production of automobile and motorcycle industry.

4.According to the use of functional parts, preparation of suitable material composition.

5.By the method of sintering and injection molding, powder metallurgy process can be made with any shape of complex parts, can meet the needs of the automobile and motorcycle industry product model updating.

6.Made by powder metallurgy method of mechanical structure components, can achieve the precision of size tolerance and surface roughness after grinding.

7.Powder metallurgy parts does not produce any toxic substances in favor of the environment.

8.For the production of new varieties of parts, powder metallurgy of investment is far lower than other production methods.

It is because of powder metallurgy has so many advantages, so the powder metallurgy parts are important in the automotive and motorcycle industry

Metal powder injection molding of gun fire resistance of iron is 4340 steel powder metallurgy parts, hardness of 38 to 42 HRC after heat treatment. M16 laser aiming system of adjustable knobs also use brass, steel, and stainless steel powder metallurgy parts.

Powder metallurgy parts is becoming more and more widely applied in tank armored vehicles.The US XM – 1 tank engine gear are the powder metallurgy parts, fully qualified performance, and can reduce the cost of about 60%.Differential M15lA2 military vehicles, side gear, shaft gear, gear pairs are the powder metallurgy parts, its performance is very good, decrease the cost by 30%.M60 tank gear driving system adopted 4620 steel powder metallurgy parts. Military vehicle brake pump piston, sintering of iron powder metallurgy parts is better than aluminum product performance, improve product life.

Advantages and Key Attributes of PIM

PIM (Powder Injection Molding) –The technology of Powder Injection Molding originated in 1973. Which is a process to manufacture metallic (MIM) or ceramic (CIM) parts in series production. PIM is the ideal process to manufacture complex, functional parts in large quantities and with high material requirements.

Advantages of metal injection molding include:

High complexity shape capability

More efficient use of material and processes

Less material waste

Repeatability

Excellent mechanical properties

Lower overall product cost

Tailored solutions using unique materials

Powder injection molding is a multi-stage process consisting of:

Compounding of the so called feedstock from a powder and a binder system.

Molding of the so called “green parts”.

Removal of the binder system for the “brown or white parts”.

Sintering of “brown parts” to get the final product.

Key attributes Powder injection molding :

MIM is a repeatable process for complex components made from high-temperature alloys.

MIM parts are near fully dense, which gives excellent mechanical, magnetic, corrosion and hermetic sealing properties, and allows secondary operations like plating, heat treating, and machining to be easily performed.

The shrinkage from molded parts to sintered parts is high (14-18%) but isotropic and controllable.

Complex shapes are achieved through tooling techniques used in the plastic injection molding industry. High volumes are attained through multi-cavity tooling.