Process controlling and quality of my-MIM parts

The micro Metal Injection Moulding (micron-MIM) Process to prepare micro parts out of metallic materials was investigated in detail in the last years. The major advantages of this process such as material diversity, high productivity and quality are well known from other powder based production methods. At the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing and Advanced Materials (IFAM) the micro injection moulding process is further developed regarding quality assurance. Typical applications for micron-MIM are micromechanical parts, micro reactors or components for the medical technology. The extremely small structures and dimensions of the construction units require constantly rising demands with reference to quality and process control. To get an early indicator for the quality of the final product, different process parameters were observed. In the context of an interdisciplinary project at the IFAM the possibilities and limits of process control of the micro Metal Injection Moulding were examined.