High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have been reported to have better properties than conventional materials; however, they are more expensive due to the high cost of their main components. Therefore, research is needed to reduce manufacturing costs. In this study, CoCrFeMnNi HEAs were prepared using metal injection molding (MIM), which is a powder metallurgy process that involves less material waste than machining process. Although the MIM-processed samples were in the face-centered cubic (FCC) phase, porosity remained after sintering at 1200°C, 1250°C, and 1275°C. In this study, the hot isostatic pressing (HIP) process, which considers both temperature (1150°C) and pressure (150 MPa), was adopted to improve the quality of the MIM samples. Although the hardness of the HIP-treated samples decreased slightly and the Mn composition was significantly reduced, the process effectively eliminated many pores that remained after the 1275°C MIM process. The HIP process can improve the quality of the alloy.

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are attracting attention because of their excellent properties and functions; however, they are relatively expensive compared with commercial alloys. Therefore, various efforts have been made to reduce the cost of raw materials. In this study, MIM is attempted using coarse equiatomic CoCrFeMnNi HEA powders. The mixing ratio (powder:binder) for HEA feedstock preparation is explored using torque rheometer. The block-shaped green parts are fabricated through a metal injection molding process using feedstock. The thermal debinding conditions are explored by thermogravimetric analysis, and solvent and thermal debinding are performed. It is densified under various sintering conditions considering the melting point of the HEA. The final product, which contains a small amount of non-FCC phase, is manufactured at a sintering temperature of 1250oC.

사출성형공정은 열가소성 수지를 가열하여 유동상태로 만들어 금형의 공동부에 가압 주입한 후에 금형 내에서 냉각시키는 공정으로, 금형의 공동모양과 동일한 제품을 만드는 방법이다. 대량생산이 가능하고, 복잡한 모양이 가능한 공정으로, 수지온도, 금형온도, 사출속도, 압력 등 다양한 요소들이 제품의 품질에 영향을 미친다. 제조현장에서 수집되는 데이터는 양품과 관련된 데이터는 많은 반면, 불량품과 관련된 데이터는 적어서 데이터불균형이 심각하다. 이러한 데이터불균형을 효율적으로 해결하기 위하여 언더샘플링, 오버샘플링, 복합샘플링 등이 적용되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 랜덤오버샘플링(ROS), 소수 클래스 오버 샘플링(SMOTE), ADASTN 등의 소수클래스의 데이터를 다수클래스만큼 증폭시키는 오버샘플링 기법을 활용하고, 데이터마이닝 기법을 활용하여 품질예측을 하고자 한다.

Nanopowders provide better details for micro features and surface finish in powder injection molding processes. However, the small size of such powders induces processing challenges, such as low solid loading, high feedstock viscosity, difficulty in debinding, and distinctive sintering behavior. Therefore, the optimization of process conditions for nanopowder injection molding is essential, and it should be carefully performed. In this study, the powder injection molding process for Fe nanopowder has been optimized. The feedstock has been formulated using commercially available Fe nanopowder and a wax-based binder system. The optimal solid loading has been determined from the critical solid loading, measured by a torque rheometer. The homogeneously mixed feedstock is injected as a cylindrical green body, and solvent and thermal debinding conditions are determined by observing the weight change of the sample. The influence of the sintering temperature and holding time on the density has also been investigated. Thereafter, the Vickers hardness and grain size of the sintered samples have been measured to optimize the sintering conditions.

A powder injection molding process is developed and optimized for piezoelectric PAN-PZT ceramics. Torque rheometer experiments are conducted to determine the optimal solids loading, and the rheological property of the feedstock is evaluated using a capillary rheometer. Appropriate debinding conditions are chosen using a thermal gravity analyzer, and the debound specimens are sintered using sintering conditions determined in a preliminary investigation. Piezoelectric performance measures, including the piezoelectric charge constant and dielectric constant, are measured to verify the developed process. The average values of the measured piezoelectric charge constant and dielectric constant are 455 pC/N and 1904, respectively. Powder injection molded piezoelectric ceramics produced by the optimized process show adequate piezoelectric performance compared to press-sintered piezoelectric ceramics.

Powder injection molding (PIM), which combines the advantages of powder metallurgy and plastic injection molding technologies, has become one of the most efficient methods for the net-shape production of both metal and ceramic components. In this work, plasma display panel glass bodies are prepared by the PIM process. After sintering, the hot isostatic pressing (HIP) process is adopted for improving the density and mechanical properties of the PIMed glass bodies. The mechanical and thermal behaviors of the prepared specimens are analyzed through bending tests and dilatometric analysis, respectively. After HIPing, the flexural strength of the prepared glass body reaches up to 92.17 MPa, which is 1.273 and 2.178 times that of the fused glass body and PIMed bodies, respectively. Moreover, a thermal expansion coefficient of 7.816 × 10−6/oC is obtained, which coincides with that of the raw glass powder (7.5-8.0 × 10−6/oC), indicating that the glass body is fully densified after the HIP process.

Powder injection molding is an important manufacturing technology to mass produce superalloy components with complex shape. Injection molding step is particularly important for realizing a desired shape, which requires much time and efforts finding the optimum process condition. Therefore computer aided engineering can be very useful to find proper injection molding conditions. In this study, we have conducted a finite element method based simulation for the spiral mold test of superalloy feedstock and compared the results with experimental ones. Sensitivity analysis with both of simulation and experiment reveals that the melt temperature of superalloy feedstock is the most important factor for the full filling of mold cavity. The FEM based simulation matches well the experimental results. This study contributes to the optimization of superalloy powder injection molding process.

In this research, we are developing a predictive maintenance model of the injection molding machines based on the prediction of trend of injection molding parameters. At first, we developed an interface method to directly monitor the real-time injection molding parameter data from injection molding machine controller. Second, we identified the principal injection parameters which mainly affect the quality of injection molding products and need to be monitored for maintenance. Third, based on the time series analysis, we developed the prediction models of the principal injection molding parameters, which are identified by previous statistical model to forecast its future patterns/trends and schedule its maintenance point in time. We adopted Nelson’s rules to identify abnormal patterns in predicted data. Finally, we used FTA (fault tree analysis) to relate the injection molding parameters to the parts of the injection molding machine, find out the equipment or parts to be corrected.

Tool steels serve a large range of applications including hot and cold workings of metals and injection mouldings of plastics or light alloys. The high speed steels (HSS) are specifically used as cutting tools and wear parts because it has high strength, wear resistance and hardness along with appreciable toughness and fatigue resistance. From the view of HSS microstructure, it can be described as metallic matrix composites formed by a ferrous with a dispersion of hard and wear resistant carbides. The experimental specimens were manufactured using the PIM with T42 powders (50~80 vol.%) and polymer (20~50 vol.%). The green parts were debinded in n-hexane solution at for 8 hours and thermal debinded at an mixed gas atmosphere for 8 hours. Specimens were sintered in high vacuum ( Torr) and various temperatures.

High speed steels (HSS) were used as cutting tools and wear parts, because of high strength, wear resistance, and hardness together with an appreciable toughness and fatigue resistance. Conventional manufacturing process for production of components with HSS was used by casting. The powder metallurgy techniques were currently developed due to second phase segregation of conventional process. The powder injection molding method (PIM) was received attention owing to shape without additional processes. The experimental specimens were manufactured with T42 HSS powders (59 vol%) and polymer (41 vol%). The metal powders were prealloyed water-atomised T42 HSS. The green parts were solvent debinded in normal n-Hexane at for 24 hours and thermal debinded at mixed gas atmosphere for 14 hours. Specimens were sintered in , gas atmosphere and vacuum condition between 1200 and . In result, polymer degradation temperatures about optimum conditions were found at and . After sintering at gas atmosphere, maximum hardness of 310Hv was observed at . Fine and well dispersed carbide were observed at this condition. But relative density was under 90%. When sintering at gas atmosphere, relative density was observed to 94.5% at . However, the low hardness was obtained due to decarbonization by hydrogen. In case of sintering at the vacuum of torr at temperature of , full density and 550Hv hardness were obtained without precipitation of MC and in grain boundary.

In this study, copper vapor chambers with built-in cooling fins, which eliminated the soldered or brazed joints in the conventional vapor chamber, were fabricated using the metal injection molding process. The results show that with optimized molding parameters, fins with an aspect ratio up to 18 could be produced. After sintering, the densities of the fin and chamber reached 96%. With only 32 cooling fins and a small fan installed, the thermal resistance of the heat sink was 1.156 ℃/W, and the power dissipation was 40W when the junction temperature was 70℃. When copper powder was sintered onto the chamber to make a vapor chamber, the thermal resistance decreased to 1.046℃/W.

Mo2FeB2 boride base cermets produced by a novel sintering technique, called reaction boronizing sintering through a liquid phase, have excellent mechanical properties and wear and corrosion-resistances. Hence, the cermets are applied to the injection molding die-casting machine parts and so on. We investigated that the effect of deoxidization and sintering temperature on mechanical properties and deformation of the MIM processed cermets. As a result, deoxidization temperature of 1323K and sintering temperature of 1518K were suitable. The MIM products of the cermets showed allowable dimensional accuracy and the same mechanical properties as the presssintered ones.

With the capability of net shaping for complex 3D geometry, powder injection molding (PIM) is widely used for automotive parts, electronics and medical industry. In this study, an ultrasonic dental scaler tip produced by machining process was redesigned for the PIM process. An injection mold was designed and machined to produce the dental scaler tip by the PIM process.

Powder Injection Molding (PIM) has recently been recognized as an advanced manufacturing technology for low-cost mass production of metal or ceramic parts of complicated geometry. With this regards, design technology of dental scaler tip PIM mold, which has complex shape, with the help of computer-aided analysis for powder injection molding process was developed. Compter aided analysis results, such as filling pattern, weldline formation, and air vent position prediction were investigated and eventually showed good agreements with experimental results.

The production method of micro sacrificial plastic mold insert metal injection molding, namely process has been proposed to solve specific problems involving the miniaturization of MIM. Two types of sacrificial plastic molds (SP-mold) with fine structures were used: 1) PMMA resist, 2) PMMA mold injected into Ni-electroform, which is a typical LIGA () process. Stainless steel 316L feedstock was injection-molded into the SP-molds with multi-pillar structures. This study focused on the effects of metal particle size and processing conditions on the shrinkage, transcription and surface roughness of sintered parts.

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the method decreasing debinding time as well as lowering operation condition than pure supercritical debinding by using cosolvent or binary mixture of propane + . First method is to add cosolvent, such as n-hexane, DCM, methanol, 1-butanol, in supercritical . In case of adding cosolvent, we were found the addition of non-polar cosolvent (n-hexane) improves dramatically the binder removal rate (more than 2 times) compared with pure supercritical debinding, second method is to use mixture of supercritical propane + , as solvent. In case of using mixture of supercritical propane + , the rate of debinding speeded up with increasing of pressure and concentration of propane at 348.15 K. It was found that addition of cosolvent (e.g., n-hexane, DCM) and binary mixture propane + for supercritical solvent remarkably improved binder removal rate for the paraffin wax-based binder system, in comparison with using pure supercritical .

Defining the relationship between the quality of injection molded parts and the process condition is very complicate because of lots of factor are involved and each factor has a non-linearity. With the development of CAE(Computer Aided Engineering) technology, the estimation of volumetric shrinkage of injection mold parts is possible by computer simulation even though restricted application. In this research, the Taguchi method and Neural Network applied for finding optimal processing condition. The percent of volumetric shrinkage compared on each case and show neural network can be successfully applied.