Skip to main content
Log in

Numerical simulation and experimental analysis of the sintered micro-parts using the powder injection molding process

  • Technical Paper
  • Published:
Microsystem Technologies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

A Correction to this article was published on 23 October 2017

This article has been updated

Abstract

This paper discusses in detail the development of numerical simulations capable of simulating structural evolution and macroscopic deformation during a powder injection molding process. A sintering model based on elastic-visco-plastic constitutive equations was proposed, and the corresponding parameters such as sintering stress, bulk and shearing viscosities were identified from dilatometer experimental data. As a complement to this experimental study, a finite element simulation of the sintering operation was performed. The simulations were based on constitutive equations identified from specific experiments performed for each blend at different sintering heating rates and loadings. Finally, the numerical analyses, performed on the 3D micro-structured components, allow the numerical predictions to be compared with experimental results of sintering stage. They show that the FE simulation results have better agreement with the experimental ones at high temperatures.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18

Similar content being viewed by others

Change history

  • 23 October 2017

    Unfortunately, one of the co-author’s family name was incorrect in the original online publication of this article. The correct family name should be:

References

  • Barriere T, Gelin J-C, Liu B (2002) Improving mould design and injection parameters in metal injection moulding by accurate 3D finite element simulation. J Mater Process Technol 125–126:518–524

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barriere T, Liu B, Gelin J-C (2003) Determination of the optimal process parameters in metal injection molding from experiments and numerical modeling. J Mater Process Technol 143–144:636–644

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belhadjhamida A, German RM (1993) A model calculation of the shrinkage dependence on rearrangement during liquid phase sintering. Adv Powder Metall Part Mater Metal Powder Ind Fed Princeton NJ 3:85–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Blendell JE, Coble RL (1978) Test by numerical simulation of applicability of steady state diffusion models in final stage sintering. Powder Metall Int 10:65–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Bleyan D, Hausnerova B, Svoboda P (2015) The development of powder injection moulding binders: a quantification of individual components’ interactions. Powder Technol 286:84–89

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bordia RK, Scherer GW (1988) On constrained sintering. I. Constitutive model for a sintering body. Acta Mater 36:2393–2397

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bricout J, Matheron P, Ablitzer C, Gelin J-C, Brothier M, Barriere T (2015) Evaluation of the feasibility of the powder injection moulding process for the fabrication of nuclear fuel and comparison of several formulations. Powder Technol 279:49–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bross P, Exner HE (1979) Computer simulation of sintering processes. Acta Metall 27:1013–1020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chmielewski M, Kaliński D, Pietrzak K, Włosiński W (2010) Relationship between mixing conditions and properties of sintered 20AlN/80Cu compositematerials. Arch Metall Mater 55:579–585

    Google Scholar 

  • Chmielewski M, Dutkiewicz J, Kaliński D, Litynska-Dobrzynska L, Pietrzak K, Strojny-Nedza A (2012) Microstructure and properties of hot-pressed molybdenum-alumina composites. Arch Metall Mater 57:687–693

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi J-P, Lee G-Y, Song J-I, Lee W-S, Lee J-S (2015) Sintering behavior of 316L stainless steel micro-nanopowder compact fabricated by powder injection molding. Powder Technol 279:196–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coble RL (1958) Initial sintering of alumina and hematite. J Am Ceram Soc 41:55–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coble RL (1961) Sintering of crystalline solids. I. Intermediate and final state diffusion models. J Appl Phys 32:787–792

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Contreras JM, Jiménez-Morales A, Torralba JM (2009) Fabrication of bronze components by metal injection moulding using powders with different particle characteristics. J Mater Process Technol 209:5618–5625

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu G, Loh NH, Tor SB, Murakoshi Y, Maeda R (2004) Replication of metal microstructures by micro powder injection moulding. Mater Des 25:729–733

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gasik M, Zhang B (2000) A constitutive model and FE simulation for the sintering process of powder compacts. Comput Mater Sci 18:93–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • German RM (1990) Powder injection molding. MPIF, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • German RM (1997) The production of stainless steels by injection molding water atomized pre-alloy powders. J Inject Mold Technol 1:171–180

    Google Scholar 

  • German RM (2004) Green body homogeneity effects on sintered tolerances. Powder Metal 47:157–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • German RM, Bose A (1997) Injection molding of metals and ceramics. Metal Powder Industries Federation, Princeton, pp 99–132

    Google Scholar 

  • German RM, Lathrop JF (1978) Simulation of spherical powder sintering by surface diffusion. J Mater Sci 13:921–929

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han JS, Gal CW, Kim JH, Park SJ (2016) Fabrication of high-aspect-ratio micro piezoelectric array by powder injection molding. Ceram Int 42:9475–9481

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He H, Li Y, Lou J, Li D, Lui C (2016) Prediction of density variation in powder injection moulding-filling process by using granular modelling with interstitial power-law fluid. Powder Technol 291:52–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heaney DF, Gurosik JD, Binetj C (2005) Isotropic forming of porous structures via metal injection moulding. J Mater Sci 40:973–981

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henrich B, Wonisch A, Kraft T, Moseler M, Riedel H (2007) Simulations of the influence of rearrangement during sintering. Acta Mater 55:753–762

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herring C (1951) Surface tension as a motivation for sintering. In: Kingston WE (ed) The physics of powder metallurgy. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp 143–179

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt KN, Evans JRG, Woodthorpe J (1988) The influence of mixing route on the properties of ceramics injection molding blends. Br Ceram Trans 87:17–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadushnikov RM, Skorokhod VV, Lykova OB (1993) Computer simulation of the evolution of the microstructure of two-phase polydispersed materials during sintering. Powder Metall Metal Ceram 32:292–298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaliński D, Chmielewski M, Pietrzak K (2012) An influence of mechanical mixing and hot pressing on properties of NiAl/Al2O3 composite. Arch Metall Mater 57:694–702

    Google Scholar 

  • Kraft T, Riedel H (2004) Numerical simulation of solid state sintering: model and application. J Eur Ceram Soc 24:345–361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuczynski GC (1949) Self diffusion in sintering of metallic particles. Metal Trans 185:169–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuczynski GC (1956) The mechanics of densification during sintering ofmetallic particles. Acta Metall 4:58–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Largiller G, Dong L, Bouvard D, Carry CP, Gabriel A (2012) Deformation and cracking during sintering of bimaterial components processed from ceramic and metal powder mixes. Part II: numerical simulation. Mech Mater 53:132–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lebib A, Chen Y, Bourneix J, Carcenac F, Cambril E, Couraud L, Launois H (1999) Nanoimprint lithography for a large area pattern replication. Microelectron Eng 46:319–322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Limberg W, Ebel T, Pyczak F, Oehring M, Schimansky FP (2012) Influence of the sintering atmosphere on the tensile properties of MIM-processed Ti 45Al 5Nb 0.2B 0.2C. Mater Sci Eng A 552:323–329

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loh NH, German RM (1996) Statistical analysis of shrinkage variation for powder injection molding. J Mater Process Technol 59:278–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin S, Guessasma M, Léchelle J, Fortin J, Saleh K, Adenot F (2014) Simulation of sintering using a non smooth discrete element method. application to the study of rearrangement. Comput Mater Sci 84:31–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKenzie JK, Shuttleworth R (1949) A phenomenological theory of sintering. Proc Phys Soc B 62:833–852

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meng J, Loh NH, Fu G, Tay BY, Tor SB (2011) Micro powder injection moulding of alumina micro-channel part. J Eur Ceram Soc 31:1049–1056

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohsin UI, Lager D, Hohenauer W, Gierl C, Danninger H (2012) Finite element sintering analysis of metal injection molded copper brown body using thermo-physical data and kinetics. Comput Mater Sci 53:6–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mukund BN, Hausnerova B, Shivashankar TS (2015) Development of 17-4PH stainless steel bimodal powder injection molding feedstock with the help of interparticle spacing/lubricating liquid concept. Powder Technol 283:24–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nor NHM, Muhamad N, Ihsan AKAM, Jamaludin KR (2013) Sintering parameter optimization of Ti-6Al-4 V metal injection molding for highest strength using palm stearin binder. Proc Eng 68:359–364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nosewicz S, Rojek J, Pietrzak K, Chmielewski M (2013) Viscoelastic discrete element model of powder sintering. Powder Technol 246:157–168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Packianather M, Chan F, Griffiths C, Dimov S, Pham DT (2013) Optimisation of micro injection moulding process through design of experiments. Procedia CIRP 12:300–305

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Packianather M, Griffiths C, Kadir W (2015) Micro injection moulding process parameter tuning. Procedia CIRP 33:400–405

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan J (2003) Modelling sintering at different length scales. Int Mater Rev 2(17):69–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peterson A, Agren J (2004) Constitutive behavior of WC-Co materials with different grain size sintered under load. Acta Mater 52:1847–1858

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petzoldt F (2008) Micro powder injectionmoulding-challenges and opportunities. Powder Injec Mould Int 2:37–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramakrishnan N, Bhat TB, Arunachalam VS (1984) An analysis of pressure sintering by computer simulation. Acta Metall 32:357–370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raza MR, Sulong AB, Muhamad N, Akhtar MN, Rajabi J (2015) Effects of binder system and processing parameters on formability of porous Ti/HA composite through powder injection molding. Mater Des 87:386–392

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reiterer M, Kraft T, Janosovits U, Riedel H (2004) Finite element simulation of cold isostatic pressing and sintering of SiC components. Ceram Int 30:177–183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenzweig N, Narkis M (1981) Dimensional variations of two spherical polymeric particles during sintering. Polym Sci Eng 21:582–585

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruprecht R, Gietzelt T, Müller K, Piotter V, Haußelt J (2002) Injection molding of microstructured components from plastics, metals and ceramics. Microsyst Technol 8:351–358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scherer GW (1979) Sintering inhomogeneous glasses: application to optical waveguides. J Non-Cryst Solids 34:239–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schoenberg SE, Green DJ, Segall AE, Messing GL, Grader AS, Halleck PM (2006) Stresses and distorsion due to green density gradients during densification. J Am Ceram Soc 89:3027–3033

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sierra CM, Lee D (1988) Modeling of shrinkage during sintering of injection molded powder metal compacts. Powder Metall Int 20:28–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Song J, Gelin J-C, Barrière T (2006) Experiments and numerical modelling of solid state sintering for 316 L stainless steel components. J Mater Proc Tech 177:352–355

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song J, Barriere T, Liu B, Gelin JC, Michel G (2010) Experimental and numerical analysis on sintering behaviours of injection moulded components in 316L stainless steel powders. Powder Metall 53:295–304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi Y, Ueno F, Nishiguchi K (1988) A numerical analysis of the void shrinkage process controlled by surface diffusion. Acta Metall 36:3007–3018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tay BY, Liu L, Loh NH, Tor SB, Murakoshi Y, Maeda R (2006) Characterization of metallic micro rod arrays fabricated by _MIM. Mater Char 57:80–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tikare V, Braginsky M, Bouvard D, Vagnon A (2010) Numerical simulation of microstructural evolution during sintering at the mesoscale in a 3D powder compact. Comput Mater Sci 48:317–325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weglewski W, Basista M, Chmielewski M, Pietrzak K (2012) Modelling of thermally induced damage in the processing of Cr-Al2O3 composites. Compos Eng 43:255–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wonisch A, Kraft T, Moseler M, Riedel H (2009) Effect of different particle size distributions on solid-state sintering: a microscopic simulation approach. J Am Ceram Soc 92:1428–1434

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu PC, Li QF, Fuh JYH, Li T, Lu L (2007) Two-stage sintering of nano-sized yttria stabilized zirconia process by powder injection moulding. J Mater Process Technol 192–193:312–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Sahli.

Ethics declarations

Funding

This study was not funded by any Company.

Conflict of interest

All the authors have not received research grants, a speaker honorarium from any Company and own not stock in any Company. All the authors are not a member of any committee. OR if no conflict exists: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

The original version of this article was revised: Unfortunately, one of the co-author's family name was incorrect in the original online publication of this article. The correct family name should be: Barriere.

A correction to this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-017-3579-2.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sahli, M., Djoudi, H., Gelin, JC. et al. Numerical simulation and experimental analysis of the sintered micro-parts using the powder injection molding process. Microsyst Technol 24, 1495–1508 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-017-3533-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-017-3533-3

Navigation