Metal Injection Moulding Workshop and Pressing Process

Metal Injection Moulding is process of manufacturing that is similar to plastic injection moulding which can produce smaller parts of high tolerance and extreme complexity. While both plastic injection and die casting processes deal with hot molten liquid, metal injection moulding, on the other hand, utilizes a mixture of powder and binder raw material which is referred to as feedstock.

The process of manufacturing takes place in four different stages for metal injection moulding from the mixing and formation of feedstock to the final sintering process, the four major steps utilize various equipment in the workshop. At Eurobalt Engineering, our metal injection moulding workshop is fully equipped to handle all your production needs.

Equipment in Our Metal Injection Moulding Workshop

Working with us, from the manufacturing of tooling to the sintering process for finishing the product, all the processes are carried out in-house. We have numerous state-of-the-art machines in the production workshop, some of them and their work are listed below.

Industrial Mixture:
At our workshop, we have a large industrial mixer for feedstock preparation. Along with metal powder, polymer binders and wax are mixed inside the industrial mixer.

The result of mixing is the production of feedstock which is 60% metal powder and 40% other additives. The mixture is then put inside a granulation device where the powder mixture is turned into tiny pellets.
Injection Molding:
After the creation of pellets from the granulation process, the pellets are fed into the injection moulding machine. The pellets are transported from the feeding tube to the tooling where the pellets take shape of the die under high pressure.

Inside the die, the pressure forms the pellets into the required shape and after a few moments the ejector pushes out the manufactured part and the process is repeated again. We have multiple injection moulding machines in our production workshop.
Solvent or Thermal Debinding:
As mentioned above, the pellets of metal powder are mixed with polymer binders. These binders grow the size of the part manufactured and they are also not necessary, so a process called “debinding” takes place to rid the part of impurities.

There are two ways of doing the debinding process, whether through a solvent or heat. The solvent process is where the manufactured part is dipped in a vat of chemicals, while the thermal debinding takes place inside of an oven.

We offer both solutions to our clients at Eurobalt Engineering. You can choose the chemical method or heat treatment for the debinding process. After the debinding process is done, there are gaps in the manufactured part which are fixed by the final sintering process.
Sintering:
The final step in the production of metal parts through metal injection moulding is the sintering process. The part is put in a high temperature situation, nearly the melting point where metal particles fuse together in the space left behind by binding agents.

Sintering makes the part denser and also shrinks the metal part after coming out of the furnace. We have industrial furnaces in our workshop which can reach the temperature needed in the sintering process.

From the raw material processing to the finishing of work, we are experts in all the processes involved in metal injection moulding. Equipment, small and large, everything is available inside out workshop and this makes us the best partners for your production needs.

Pressing for Shape

Before the debinding or sintering process can even take place, the granules formed out of the powder mixture need to be pressed into the shape required. After the granules are created, they are fed into the high-pressure press machine where the tooling is located.

While the tooling is locked shut, the feedstock is passed through from one end of the tooling and then pressed together under high pressure. After the pressing is done, the so-called “green part” is formed, which is then passed to the debinding phase.

There are multiple press machines in our workshop, each operated by trained employees well-versed in the use of the machine. These machines also help us in meeting demand of our clients and delivering goods on time. There is no doubt that it is beneficial for our clients to have all the tools and machines under one roof.

At Eurobalt® we pride ourselves in running an efficient workshop where the employees are trained and the machines run as they are supposed to. So, give us a call or send us an email so we can fulfil your pressing, sintering and debinding needs for your next metal injection moulding project.