Quick-Cycle HIPs Strengthen MIM/PIM Parts at Lower Cost
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FRANKLIN, Tennessee, USA - Today, tens of thousands of structural parts are produced by powder injection molding (PIM) technology. Many of these are quite small (Microminiature PIM) components of electronic, medical, telecommunications and computing devices. Because of their small load-bearing areas, they require particularly high levels of tensile strength and hardness.
PIM compacts are typically sintered, but often with mixed results. Density and corrosion resistance are improved, but grain growth during the process reduces strength and hardness, making them unsuitable for high-stress applications.
Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIPing) has long been used to eliminate porosity in castings and to form high-strength powder metal parts. In the past decade, post-sinter HIPing has been shown to minimize grain growth and significantly improve the density, tensile strength, hardness and corrosion resistance of PIM parts designed for severe service. The only drawback to standard HIPs has been their long cycle times - 8 to 12 hours depending on batch size. Most of this time has been for natural, unassisted cooling.
Avure Technologies offers a unique solution to this concern. Many of Avure's HIP models can be equipped with its Uniform Rapid Cooling (URC) furnace, which cools the load in a fraction of the time needed by conventional HIP furnaces. This feature reduces total cycle time by as much as 70 percent, allowing up to three complete cycles in an eight-hour shift, cutting per-unit process HIPing costs by up to 70 percent as well.
"We presented this high-throughput process at a recent MIM conference", said Dave Peltier, Avure's Director of Sales for the Americas. "The response was very positive, and I believe that most whom I talked to, who felt sintering alone was sufficient, now are strongly considering test cycles to determine the value of post-sinter HIPping. In fact, one gentleman remarked 'This is a game-changer'".
Further details and technical data on Avure's Uniform Rapid Cooling are available at www.avure.com/pim.
About Avure Technologies, Inc.
Avure Technologies specializes in the design, manufacturing, installation, and global support of high pressure presses for densification of advanced materials and critical industrial parts, sheet metal forming, and high pressure pasteurization to keep food fresh longer and pathogen-free. The company has its headquarters in Franklin, TN (near Nashville), with significant operations in Vasteras, Sweden and Columbus, Ohio.
Avure Technologies Incorporated 210 Gothic Court, Franklin, TN 37067 www.avure.com P 615-224-2600 F 615-224-2601 www.avure.com
