The fierce competition in the industry leads brands to look for more cost-effective and less time-intensive manufacturing processes. This is where Metal Injection Molding comes in. MIM has revolutionized the production of automobiles by making the process cost-effective and less time-consuming while also maintaining the quality of the product.
Precision plays an important part in the automotive industry. Without the necessary level of precision in automotive components, the safety of the passenger is at risk. The fierce competition in the industry leads brands to look for more cost-effective and less time-intensive manufacturing processes. This is where Metal Injection Molding comes in. MIM has revolutionized the production of automobiles by making the process cost-effective and less time-consuming while also maintaining the quality of the product.
Metal Injection Moulding is an alternative manufacturing process for small-to-medium-shaped precision components that were previously manufactured by conventional methods at a higher cost. In this process, ultra-fine metal powders are mixed with polymer binders to create a feedstock suitable for injection moulding. After injection moulding a combination of the metal powder and a polymer binder, the binder is extracted and metal particles are subjected to a high-temperature sintering treatment. Capillary forces between the small particles make the resulting structure very dense and give it a slightly shrunken component that is essentially full density with tensile and hardness properties equivalent to handbook values.
The main advantage of metal injection over conventional moulding processes is that it can efficiently and precisely produce high-volume small parts of relative complexity. For automotive, this includes brake components, rocker arms, injector nozzles, and numerous fittings and connectors. MIM also succeeds because of its minimal material loss during production as typically over 98 per cent of the raw material ends up in final products by Metal Injection Molding.
Almost all commonly used metal alloys can be injection moulded, but only about 30 alloys are used in most applications. The most popular alloys used in MIM are austenitic stainless steels which are known for their strength as well as flexibility in the production process. There are various advantages of using MIM in the automotive industry.
Precise Cuts and Complex Geometry - Standard powder metallurgy relies on vertical axis compaction to press a coarse powder into a compact shape. Die compaction is best at forming squat shapes that are easily ejected from the tooling. The ejection step requires the sides to be parallel, a restriction in geometry not required for MIM. Thus, in MIM undercuts and holes are possible perpendicular to the main axis.
Better Dimensional Control - Dimensional control is the critical difference between Metal Injection Molding and conventional processes. For example, in Powder Molding the standard protocol is to use larger powders and is then allowed to sinter at lower temperatures for shorter times to avoid distortion resulting in the final product having lower properties. However, MIM has no such restrictions and the resultant product strength is about twice that of products formed by PM.
Low Cost of Production: As multiple manufacturing setups and processes for small and intricate components can be avoided, the cost per component can be lowered significantly. Metal Injection Moulding supports mass production without compromising high production volume. Combined with a low wastage rate, MIM is a very cost-effective process as compared to investment casting.
Uniformity in design and final product: Producing uniform products with the same dimensions can be a daunting task for manufacturers employing traditional manufacturing technologies. MIM, on the other hand, is automated and requires far less production time and has excellent repeatability, which helps in manufacturing products, which are exactly as you want them to be.
After muted demands for over two years, the automotive industry is regaining its steam. With a growth in demand, the volume of production will increase significantly. With its proven advantages in automobile production, the Indian automotive industry can use the new and emerging Metal Injection Moulding for
Dr. Bollina is a leading expert in MIM and PM technology globally. He has been instrumental in set up of MIM plants in India and Abroad. These companies are currently thriving and have made a mark in the market. He is a technical advisor to global and Indian MNCs in the manufacturing sector. Dr. Bollina is a B.Tech Graduate from IIT Bombay and a Ph.D in materials and processing from The Pennsylvania state university, USA. He has worked in Europe, and South Korea before returning to India to promote the Make in India initiative. He currently also serves as technology expert to Indian Defense production. He can be reached at 7799882807 or at bollina@lechtechmaterials.com
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