Powder injection was first introduced in the 1950s. In 1985, Prof. Huang Kunxiang, a retired professor at the University of Taiwan, graduated from the powder metallurgy laboratory at RM German, a master of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and metal injection Molding, referred to as MIM) into the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.
The real outbreak of MIM began in 2008, when Apple Inc. realized the importance of powder molding technology and started a few years of research in Japan and China, and Apple began to use MIM parts in 2011 Traditional die-cast parts, as the internal and external parts of Apple's mobile phones and laptops, the MIM industry has exploded in the last five years (2012 ~ 2017), including market applications, products, equipment, parts manufacturers, and post- Driven the strong development of the industrial chain!
In the past five years, according to incomplete statistics, the Chinese market has increased by about 150 MIM factories, and Japan since 2008, its domestic MIM manufacturers show a downward trend (currently only 21); South Korea MIM factory Not more than 10; Singapore only four MIM plant, also set up a branch in Anhui, China.
Hot market behind the reasons
I believe that MIM in China's hot development, mainly due to the following factors.
First of all, the arrival of the era of catalytic degreasing recently, several Chinese feed mills are moving towards a lower shrinkage ratio (Oversize Shrinkage Factor, OSF<1.165)以及复合脱脂法(溶剂脱脂 催化脱脂)，这是中国PIM产业技术突进的活力象征!
Followed by Apple chose the Greater China area as a production base, so that in southern China's MIM manufacturers to gain advantage.
China MIM factory early in the establishment of only a few large MIM plant, but the demand for domestic smart phones in the past five years have begun to use MIM products, coupled with early wearable products such as smart watches, are concentrated in the Pearl River Delta, MIM industry today, the highest density Of the place: the first concentrated area in Dongguan City Changan town, the second concentration is the town of Shenzhen Shajing.
The two key technologies - material and machine optimization and localization. Whether it is raw materials or injection molding machine equipment, 'Made in China' are trying to catch up with international standards.
In addition there are some special materials, such as tungsten powder, which is not the other countries and regions can have the conditions, tungsten in China, China is a bulk material, as well as nickel, nickel in northern China is also one of the best, the world's largest tungsten powder and nickel powder Supply is concentrated in China.
In recent years, due to the development of mobile phones in the direction of thin, the width and height of mobile phone parts are beginning to pay attention to, just use the high proportion of tungsten alloy, the same volume of metal more than twice the weight, you can make the phone design weight Move, the use of tungsten alloy production imbalance breeding so that when the phone fell deliberately hit the sturdy position, to avoid the glass screen rupture, this is a new business opportunities.
In addition, China now has sufficient and willing working population, including management personnel, engineers and grassroots workers, they are also trying to promote the upgrading of technology.
Future PIM product -new material
MIM technical characteristics: ① order quantity appropriate (Note: the United States MIM factory so-called production is defined as more than a million per year is a lot, and MIM textbooks that can be orders for each batch of 1000); ② difficult to process materials, including high Hardness, high strength and non-natural ratio alloy; ③ more complex shape-based.
Many people are curious, the next MIM star product is what? I optimistic about the following materials:
Tungsten and tungsten alloy
In the preceding section, the advantages of the high specific gravity tungsten alloy are mentioned, and the sintered tungsten alloy is added here. The ball mill powder, solvent degreasing and thermal degreasing, pre-sintering equipment, ammonia cracking and hydrogen supply equipment have been abandoned in the past. It is necessary to use nickel, copper, iron, cobalt, molybdenum and other elements to produce liquid phase sintered tungsten particles stick up (eat peanut sugar it? Peanuts like tungsten , Maltose is those liquid elements).
Tungsten alloy counterweight and motor shocks (vibrating motor demand) in 2015 are being fried by Apple.Although it is short-lived, it also proves that MIM can actually correspond to hard alloy and high specific gravity and gold products have fast climb capacity ability.
No nickel stainless steel
In the current widely used medical austenitic stainless steel 316L and hardened 17-4PH, nickel is an important alloying element. The main role of nickel is to make stainless steel to form a stable austenitic structure, thereby improving the resistance of stainless steel Corrosive, plasticity, weldability and toughness and other properties, under normal temperature stability of the austenitic structure can also make stainless steel with non-magnetic.
However, nickel is a potential allergic factor, in the West a large number of clinical manifestations confirmed that nickel and its compounds will cause harm to humans.The most common damage is contact dermatitis, a higher incidence, allergic strong eczema The
At present, the EU has issued a ban on nickel, in the end of 2016 before the complete implementation of the alternative program is the use of high nitrogen nickel-free chromium manganese molybdenum steel, which is MIM technology strengths.
I believe that do not have to be next year, this material, such as cooperation in daily life and industrial applications of metal parts, should be star material, MIM plant to be prepared early! High nitrogen nickel-free stainless steel formula is currently BASF's patent, patent protection period is also about Expired, should be able to let the market to enlarge it
Copper and brass, titanium and titanium alloys
Metal applications with non-magnetic, for 3C products is a very good material, by its MIM technology is concerned about the economic benefits, copper alloy should be a good option, but unfortunately the past, copper alloy sintering very few people Concern, mainly in the plumbing equipment copper alloy can be die-cast (Die Casting) to achieve, pure copper sintering is not the general sintering furnace can be done, must be used pressure greater than one atmosphere above the high pressure sintering furnace, not the general factory can be set, Mainly copper (and its alloys) vapor pressure is low, has not reached the sintering temperature vaporization is quite serious, in addition to the furnace wall is easy to pollute, the product is easy to burn not dense.
The world's MIM / PM powder consumes the largest in mainland China and Taiwan, but apparently only focuses on heat pipes and heat sinks, as well as a small portion of bronze self-lubricating bearings and filters for copper and Copper alloy MIM products, has yet to be developed.Often, this material should be expected to use the Apple computer has a quick opportunity to rise.
Titanium and titanium alloys are always star materials, but the price is too high, the powder source is limited, so industrial applications are limited to the aviation buckle, special parts, and medical equipment and implants, a small part for the wearable products , But because the appearance of titanium is easy to ashes the decorative decoration is not good enough to see a lot of stainless steel polishing plus PVD 锖 black is titanium, that only a thin layer of titanium surface, not enough to be called titanium alloy. Also look forward to the market development and nickel-free stainless steel era, high strength and relatively low proportion of titanium has its excellent mechanical and human affinity, to look forward to MIM titanium parts listed it!
Light, electricity, magnetic regardless of home, functional metal and ceramic struck
Since 2017 has been discussed most, the most mysterious and most popular, I believe that is functional materials, due to many special applications, related materials such as various non-ferrous metal alloys, functional ceramics, etc. For example, cobalt chromium molybdenum alloy (CoCrMo) Or cobalt (Hiper Co) soft magnetic materials, ceramics may be more varied.