Computational simulation and experimental analysis of the mold-filling process in μPIM

The micro powder injection molding technique has developed in recent years to be a unique method to fabricate miniature components in the large scale. In this paper numerical simulation of the mold filling of a micro-sized cylinder and gearwheel on a substrate was carried out with the ANSYS CFX software. The feedstock consisted of 56 vol% of carbonyl iron powder and a thermoplastic binder. The simulation results found that inhomogeneity greatly influences the shape precision of the molded micro-sized parts, and the gears located far from the gate exhibited better morphology than those near the gate. A difference in shape accuracy was found in different regions of a molded compact due to the variation of the state of the mold filling and the heat exchange between the feedstock and the die wall. The experimental data testified to the validity of the numerical simulation of the mold-filling process in micro powder injection molding.