Powder Injection Molding for Large Military Components

Powder injection molding (PIM), a relatively new material shaping process, uses the shaping advantages of plastic injection molding but expands the applications to numerous advanced engineering materials such as metals and alloys, ceramics, intermetalliccompounds, and composites. A number of these advanced materials have potential applications both in the military and commercial sector. The applications of PIM have been limited due to the inability of the process to produce small number of largecomplex shaped components of advanced materials, in an economical manner (using low cost tooling and powders) using an environmental friendly process. Phase I studies have investigated and proven that large PIM components can be molded and processed fromadvanced materials, using a combination of innovative low/medium pressure injection molding and inexpensive tooling. Phase II will build on the concept of fabricating large, near-net shaped PIM components made from advanced materials in an economical andenvironmentally friendly way. This will be achieved through the innovative combination of new low viscosity feedstock that lends itself to a novel environmentally friendly organic binder extraction process, use of low/medium pressure injection molding,use of low cost soft tooling and powder, and exploration of both conventional and microwave assisted sintering.