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2006
Journal Article
Titel
Mikro-MIM macht kleinste Bauteile und Strukturen möglich. Mikrotechnik aus Metall
Alternative
Micro metal injection molding (MIM) makes possible the smallest components and structures. Micro engineering from metal
Abstract
For many years metal injection molding (MIM) has been used for the manufacture of complex metal components. Now the process has been extended on the pattern of plastic injection molding to metal micro-components and surface structures. The application extends from micro gearing to implants for medical technology to electronics and micro-reactors. The increasing demand for greater precision, functionality, and miniaturization of components and systems leads to a greater need for the smallest and micro metal parts. Today, micro manufacturing enables only seldom a cost effective manufacture in quantity or is limited to the processing of individual metal materials. Micro injection molding (-MEVI) has been developed in recent years with the goal to provide a broad range in metals and alloys for quantity manufacture of micro parts and components with micro structure surfaces. At Fraunhofer Institut für Fertigungstechnik und Angewandte Materialforschung (IFAM) in Bremen public ly supported and industrial projects in micro injection molding process routes for example for stainless steels, iron-nickel alloys, hard alloys or metals, copper materials, and titanium alloys have been developed. Typical metal properties such as good heat conductivity and magnetic properties, high temperature and corrosion resistance, strength, and toughness are of use in micro technical applications. The outer dimension of the micro components can be 1 mm with the least wall thickness of 300 m. Jointly with Horst Scholz GmbH, for example, different micro gear components have been made. The stainless steel 17-4PH micromixer for the Fraunhofer Famos micro reaction module and components for micro gears made of stainless steel 316L are illustrated.