Experiments and computational modeling of metal injection molding for forming small parts

The metal injection molding process is mainly used for manufacturing small metallic components with complex shapes. The process includes four stages and the present study is concentrated on the injection and the densification ones. A multiple cavities mold has been designed and realized that permits to characterize the effects of injection parameters on the final results in terms of shape and integrity. A mechanical model and a set of numerical simulations have been carried out that enhance the experimental results and that allow to access to the influence of the main process parameters. Finally it is shown that computational modeling could be used to help the process designer to produce accurate parts.