PIM 2001 airs industry's successes and challenges

PIM 2ool airs industry's successes and challenges he 'PIM 2001' conference presented a global view of the technologies and markets of the rapidly growing powder injection moulding (PIM) industry. The conference was held in Orlando, FL, USA, from 28 February - 2 March 2001, organized by Innovative Material Solutions, Inc, and the Center for Innovative Sintered Products at Penn State University. The conference co-chairs were Professor Randall M. German of Penn State and Claus Joens of Elnik Systems (Cedar Grove, NJ, USA). More than 115 participated, representing 82 companies and 14 countries, with substantial attendance from Germany and Japan, an indication of the strength of the PlM industry in those countries. Thirty-two presentations covered available powders, feedstocks, binder systems, moulding machines, furnaces, and part producers' concerns.

T

Markets and technology An overview of the worldwide

PIM industry and its markets was provided by Robert Cornwall of Innovative Material Solutions. He related PIM manufacturing to the worldwide market for net shaped manufacturing, which e.,ceeds US$23 billion in North America and includes casting, some types of plastics moulding,

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|

%

,ooo

.

+oo 101985

!

1990

.

.

.

....... T"

i

1995

2000

Year

Figure t: Worldwide sales of PIM parts.

1.0

~I/~PR

Julqe

2001

!

2005

2010

[ ] Metal casting 5%

[ ] New company 14%

[ ] Metal cutting 8%

[ ] Thermoplastic moulding 27%

[ ] Traditional metal powder 8% [ ] Traditional ceramic 38% Figure 2: Origin of Europe's PIM companies (source Arburg GmbH).

powder metallurgy (PM), ceramic manufacturers and other netshape technologies. There are currently more than 500 companies practising the manufacture of metal, ceramic or both types of parts by injection moulding. This is up from 240 companies in 1997. Roughly 40 powder producers supply these 500 companies. There are 20 feedstock suppliers worldwide, though less than ten are major players. Global employment in the industry exceeds 6000. PlM sales were estimated to be worth more than $700 million in 2000, with annual growth at 22% per year (Figure 1). Nearly half of these sales are in the USA, followed by Europe (with a little more than a third) and the remainder in Asia. Ferrous materials account for nearly 60% of the total profits. Cornwall compared and contrasted high and low pressure moulding and discussed future trends. Consolidations will significantly impact the industry in the coming years. Other manufacturing technologies are taking a hard look at PIM and are either implementing it in their process or are improving their own processes to compete on cost and properties.

Marko Maetzig of Arburg G m b H (Lossburg, Germany) discussed the status of PIM markets and technologies in Europe. He indicated that there are 120 companies and 30 research institutes working in the technology operating nearly 250 moulding machines, 98% of which have a clamping force of less than 100 tons. Maetzig estimated the total usage of feedstock in Europe to be more than 1100 tons. In discussing the origin of Europe's PIM companies, he reported that 38% come from a traditional ceramics background, 27% from thermoplastic moulding, 8% apiece from traditional PM and metal cutting, 5% from metal casting, with new companies making up the remaining 14% (Figure 2). Terauchi Shyuntaro, the Chair of the Japan Injection Moulding Association (JIMA) and president of Osaka Yakin Kogyo (Osaka), gave a detailed analysis of the MIM market in Japan. He indicated that there are some 20 companies in Japan making MIM parts, with sales of approximately $90 million and an annualized growth of 15%. Eleven companies share 90% of the market, with Injex Corp and Citizen Watch

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the

dominant

two-thirds

players.

of the

Around

parts

produced

are made from stainless other

ferrous

Applications end-use last

are

areas

few

steels

materials

growing

(Table

years

3).

in all

End-use sector

1); in the

growth

particularly

and

(Figure

strong

has

been

in

the

Telecommunication Electronic application

telecommunications and automotive sectors, Shyuntaro said, while

in

watch

and

percentage

sectors

are declining

importance. details

terms

sewing

part

somewhat

He

also

of the materials

developed

the

machine

by JIMA,

in

provided

Automotive

O-5

0.2

3.5

2.0

standards

Watch

J4.o

5.4

21.3

13.0

Sewing machine

0.6

0.2

Other

8.7

3.45

a.5

Totat

100

38.5

100

and distrib-

uted a CI) of his presentation. Best

practices

examined

in

by

German.

Professor

He

cessful

PIM

Randall

indicated

companies

benchmarking

were

that

are

suc-

actively

themselves

evaluation,

citing

factors

net-shape

most

PIM

profitable

facturing

can

profits

from the point.

compares

personnel,

lectual

property,

image,

nology,

managed

at

companies

include: practices,

nozzle system.

to

PM manufacturing

business

markets

in MIM

were

Howells

of

(Neath,

UK).

inteldefined

modern

the

technology

talks,

market

and

Animesh

Processing,

(Materials Worth,

TX,

licensing

and the parameters

USA)

current

market

which

represents

total

for

that

it

powders

discussed

by Bob

Metal

He noted

Ltd

that

the

size is $450 million, about

PM,

for

and

significant

The total market

for MIM

powders

is a few hundred

toins per

in whilt

highly

are

alloyed

typically

powders.

discussed

the

atomized

powders,

scepticism

about

and

of gasexpressed

manufactur-

ers’ desire to go to coarser to

reduce

powder

costs.

prices

more Howells

advantages the

powders

Stainless

have

been

steel halved

over the last ten years and are now in

the

$7/lb

quantities.

In his

means of further to increase

range

for view,

tonnage the

price reductions

the volume

www.metal-powder.net

61.2

100

85.6

Fort

contamination

that when

of sales.

Therr

were

several

and

feedstock

hinders

Myers

cussed

best is

of Penn

optimum

water-atomized

Schofalvi

stanclof APEX LLC

discussed

hinders

low

for titani-

um and other reaction-sensitive alloys. The difficulty of working with fine Ti powders and the ease of use of the APEX hinder system

tive. Correct talks

on

systems. State

binder

ilis-

issues for

stainless

Their

producers’

OH)

high quality

and feedstocks

powders.

growth. year

6.4

using thermal extraction presented. The importance

Binders

Neal

10% of the

conventional is poised

7,s

Technologies,

(Cleveland,

MIM practice

for metal

Advanced

Bose

discussed

companies should consider licensing PIM technologies.

tech-

relationships

Osprey

5.4

OR) talked considerations

parts

Karl-Heinz

Concluding

and financials. The

l.1

sample parts including Tim McKahe of Kinetics

ultrafine powders produced using ;I specially designed high-pressure

manu-

4%. The best practices

showed titanium.

the

average

consider

theme, ATMIX

Inc (Wilsonville, about feedstock

with

at 10%. This

traditional

he

Also on the powders Koei Nakahayashi of

Carp (Tokyo, Japan) discussed the a‘lvantages of water-atomized

net-shape

method

L3

*InWmomillion

for

manufacturing

technologies.

x5-5

Source: Shyuntam Temuchi

mar-

ket as a comparative other

7.3 13.2

against

peers and using the financial performance

8.5

steel

semispherical

Ti powders

is impera-

selection

binders

and

debid

regimes

will

lead

were of

of powders, and to

sinter

a tensile

strength of 550 MPa (80 ksi), density of 99.2% and elongation of 8%. Oxygen

contents

of less than

4000 ppm can he achieved

at pre-

shape leads to lower tap density, difficulty in identifying critical solids loading and also feedstock separation. A high viscosity binder is required. Bob Petcavitch Polymer Technologies,

of Inc

Planet (San

Diego, CA) talked about the company’s water-soluble binder system. It is currently available in many metal powders, including iron-based anticorrosive

systems using additives.

special He

detailed ideal processing conditions and sample propertics, and

Stanless

steel 45.6%

q SKH.SKD 1.8%

Tungslen 7.7%

FeNi alloy 13.2%

0

Magnetic material 6.2%

Pure iron 7.9%

q Titanium

2.8%

Figure 3: Usage of different MIM materials based on value of sales (after Shyuntaro).

MPR

Hardmetal

1.4%

Others 13.3%

in Japan for lggg,

June

2001

11

design iiiinimi:es temperature vandons in the furnace, assuriiir: con-

atic 1 the tliw rates of the \;aric>us compc)nents of the feedstc>ck. The

sistent part quality. cd Elnik’s offshoot

iii~)clel then predicts sintering hehaviour had on part gec>metr\; aid drnsity variations.

Techncdogies NJ) cc)vered

Bryan Sherman cc)mpany IXH

LLC: ((:cilar ~~ptimizing

pai-;lmaers &ring tci- in ;I hatch

Grc)\,e, prc)ctw

&hind ad sinfurn;lcv. When

&hiding

in s~ich furtwce~,

specinl

;ittentic)n

slx~~ilil

to p;u-t

he

piid

sllppcrrt, ~qXimizec1 temperature conttc)l nnil ;itmtq+wes, he said.

Parts makers perspective Parts manufacturers

had new intcjr-

inati
ity machines, iiaccs

and

nine &hiding

ten

sintering

The i~~lllp;lny 11x. ;IlX,Llt $12 millrc)n Mawtds incldc les., steel, Fe-Co,

fur-

furnaces. s&5 of month.

px-t

pet-

W ,dloys, stainTi and <)thers.

Injex Ll‘ies;i 64-cavity moulil for one part geometry ;ind utilizes robots t<) parts from the ~ntdJ.

remove

Ratnesh

D\vividi

(Cc)nccdville, new

process

pr)rous

metals

via

gas

metals

injectic>ti.

;lre m;mufac-

via ;i patcnttd 100 microns

pr<‘cess with

thermal

noise

reiiuction high A

weight

in

reduc-

dampening(,

in expensive

cost

materials,

seals, xx1 high

temperature

stiffiiess

The,;

;q~plicatic)ns

insulati<~n,

tion,

of less

diamettzr.

potend

have

a

micri)-

fine, r~~unde~l unif~>rm p)res than

Inc

discussed

of prcducin::

Micrcprrcw, turd

of Southco

P,4)

components.

manufacture

of

setters

for

PIM LIXS ceramic mcdling technology to produce its products. David

Bacchi

of Blasch

Precision

Ceramics (Albany, NY) discussecl the co~npa~q’s technolog\: and sh~~\ved examples rials
Modelling

to pcwder

David

iliscus5eil

Yoon of liestner Inc (Korea) offered his opinion on ho\v computer-aidei engineering can This

enhmce qppro;d~

the

I’IM procrss. can reduce the

costs aid clelavs of trial and error mcdilin~, and is usd extensively in the plastics industry. These

Metal

modding

u-as

Ron Carlson of Products (Lind-

Strom, MN). He said the driving force for plastic mcdlers to m~we tcj PIM is higher profit m;qqins. Plastic moulders need to consider many field.

aspects hefore entering the It often takes a while tc>

uderstand the complexity of the PIM process and it is easy to

plastics models have been incdifiecl for PIM with additic)ns to cover the sinterinfi process. Bestner stresses its software’s ahil-

necessary

ity tcl predict density basecl on mo111J-flow

cd

variations moilelling

of going frc)m plastic

injection hy

Smith

of how its mate-

utderestimate to reach

Start-up

costs

by Dennis

the investment profitability.

were

also consid-

Walker

of Reta)

www.metal-powder.net

Tool Company (Dallas, TX) in his discussion of the benefits of lo\\

chemical irdicated

that new customa-s (Jften

binder system, lding ad wmpounding all have significant im-

pressure moulding. The cost:, of start-up are 2

Jo nc)t have cc)nfidence in the technology and neeil to he won over

pact on final magnetic properties. In summary, this was an impor-

lower ma j oi-

ad od flow industry. He

advantage of this technology, together with the ability tc, mould

through constant Cc~~nmU~~ic;lt~~~~tant conference and education and through undermany technical

small as \vrll as larger metal and

standing

ceramic parts, and the use of lessexpensive tooling. duminium

AMT pays particular attenticw to the process and is al\vays striving for

Retco

greater than 08% yield, he s;d.

specializes

in wear applica-

tions and sees growth in ultra and nano-graincd Stephen

tungsten

carhidcs.

the

Barry

customers

Rabin

(Idaho

on the

market.

Magnequench

perspecti\.e on the manufacture

polvder producer

of O&t)

O-pmof

orthodontic

brackets hy MIM. The

ders and

orthodontic

market is a $600 mil-

NdFeB,

honded

took place with so many people

producer

SruG>, ferrite ad

a

powof

Alnic~~

lii)n industry ~vorldwide. Originall\

magnets.

produceJ

priw of powder has dropped sig-

by investment

MlM brackets

are catching

the orthodontic to success

casting, on in

iniiustry. Critical

are ~ii~dd

design

Technologies discussed his Jevelopment instrumental

nificantly billion

and

market, Materials

PTE Ltd (Singapcw) company ad c)f ;I 50/50 control

reported

that

while magnetic

mance has increased.

part handling. K.L. Lim of Advanced

He

ilollar

the

perfor-

In the $5.4

permanent

valve for the

injectic>n modding

is on

the rise. For many magnet

appli-

ani 1 no sintering. Various prc’cessin:: parameters including rhenlogy, moisture,

density,

the

worldwide

PIM

in one location.

Contact: Robert Cornwall

Innovative Material Solutions, 225 Canterbury Drive, State College, PA 16803, USA. Tel: +1-814-867-1140; Fax: +1-814-867-2813. E-mail: [email protected]; URL: www.imspowder.com

Inc

n

magnet

cations there IS no hinder removal

the NiFe

in

industry gathered

m;rgnet is both

of NdFeB

;I magnet

ben-

efit of the meeting was the inforthat mal ‘hall~vay’ discussions active

Fulls, ID) offered his per-

spective

Huti

covered business

related topics. An important

Ilf?CdS.

of Magnequcnch

izers (San Marcos, CA) offered his

that and

particle

The PIM 2002 conference will take place 18-20 March 2002 in San Diego, CA at the US Grant Hotel. A call for papers is available on the website www.imspowder.com.

size,

SINTERHARDENING in continuous furnaces:

l

l l

Best quality:

l

l

High efficiency:

l

l

Environmental friendly:

MAHLER GmbH Industrial Phone:

l l

automatic carbon potential control high cooling speed automatic gas flow control in the furnace (MAHLER-patent) computer control of the sintering parameters high reproducibility incorporated protective gas generation high capacity with small furnace dimensions rapid burn off low energy consumption

Furnaces

- ZeppelinstraOe

+ 49-7 11-93 92 02 12 - Fax: + 49-7 11-3 18 05 13

- 73730 Esslingen/Germany - eMail: [email protected] - http://www.mahlerofen.de

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MPR June 2001

13