Metal injection molding

In the 1970s, the American scholar Wiech first developed a powder metallurgy process for injection molding of metal powders. The process has been rapidly developed and successfully industrialized in the following decades, and is reflected in the preparation of metal and metal-based composite parts. There is a huge cost advantage. The current research materials include refractory metals, titanium alloys, stainless steel, and intermetallic compounds. Among them, refractory metals are difficult to melt and cast due to their high melting points. They are usually formed by powder metallurgy, so their applications are limited to simple geometric shapes. Components.

The aerospace sector has always been considered an important potential market for MIM. Although the pace of market expansion is slightly slow due to the lack of basic process understanding and strict verification requirements, the development of major R & D institutions has not stopped. For example, the IN713LC high-temperature alloy stator blade in the figure below, which is a new generation of high-performance MIM components developed by Rolls-Royce's Enrico Daenicke and SchunkSinter lltechnik GmbH, is now running well in Rolls-Royce aero engines.