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MIM and the Art of
Reliable Parts Production
The
Metal Injection Molding (MIM)
process has already proven successful for two
AFT customers in the production of
high-performance fuel injector valve discs and shift-arm
clevis components for use in automatic transmission
actuation.
A common
denominator of
MIM applications has
been in creating a reliable, production-viable process
for medium to high-volume manufacture of components. In
both cases of the fuel injector valve disc and the
shift-arm clevis, this issue has been met by providing
economic value, on-time delivery and high quality.
Fuel
Injector Valve Disc
In this
example of a highly successful
MIM application,
AFT was called upon to produce a
 small (5 mm
diameter, 0.5 gram) valve disc produced from 440C
stainless steel heat treated to Rc60. This demanding
application would see 1200 million cycles in service. Of
the 45 million parts produced to date, zero rejects have
been reported by our customer. This is a true testament
to the viability of high quality, high performance
component potential of the
MIM process.
Shift Arm
Clevis
In this
application,
MIM has proven itself
viable in this high-volume production of complex-shaped
components. Larger and relatively heavier components
like this produced in volume has a positive economic
impact on raw material cost, which in turn has driven
the competitive edge for
MIM products in other
market applications.
Tasked with
producing a steering column "PRNDL"
(Park-Reverse-Neutral-Drive-Low) shift clevis for use in
automatic transmissions,
AFT used the
 MIM process to produce
a relatively large, complex-shaped component which is
heat-treated and the pivot hole reamed to +/- 0.0005".
Comprised of two percent nickel steel, the shift arm
clevis, at approximately two inches long and a weight of
65 grams, is an excellent example of combining more than
two components together to create a quintessential
MIM part. In addition
to the economical production of 7,500,000 components
produced, this was a great example of production quality
capability coming in at below 25 DPPM levels.
The MIM
Difference
MIM has clearly become
a reliable, production-viable process for the medium to
high volume production of complex-shaped components or
low volume applications where value can be realized. In
addition, new materials such as super alloys and
titanium alloys, sinter bonding of similar/dissimilar
materials and the development of larger and even smaller
parts is on the horizon for the future of
MIM Technology.
Continued
development of published industrial material standards,
end-user based education, research and development,
automation and increased recognition of successful
applications will continue to drive
Metal Injection Molding's
impressive growth.
Have
questions about
MIM Technology and how
it can impact your project? Contact Andrew Hanson, Vice
President at
andyh@pcc-aft.com
or call 303.833.6000.
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