Modeling of Feedstock Formability to Optimize Mold Design and Prevent Possible Defects During Metal Injection Molding

Metal injection molding (MIM) is a current technology used to produce products with complex shapes. Despite the accumulated worldwide experience in using this technology, manufacturers sometimes fail to launch new products of proper quality. Often, this is because defects can occur at the casting st...

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Main Authors: Anatoly Kutsbakh, Alexander Muranov, Alexey Pervushin, Alexey Semenov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2504-4494/9/6/203
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author Anatoly Kutsbakh
Alexander Muranov
Alexey Pervushin
Alexey Semenov
author_facet Anatoly Kutsbakh
Alexander Muranov
Alexey Pervushin
Alexey Semenov
author_sort Anatoly Kutsbakh
collection DOAJ
description Metal injection molding (MIM) is a current technology used to produce products with complex shapes. Despite the accumulated worldwide experience in using this technology, manufacturers sometimes fail to launch new products of proper quality. Often, this is because defects can occur at the casting stage, the prevention of which is impossible through the use of standard design and technological solutions of molds design and the experimental selection of technological modes. This study aimed to analyze the causes of such defects in the green part and optimize the mold design to ensure defect-free casting, which was impossible for the manufacturer using standard solutions. The core method used in this study was simulation modeling of the casting process. A hypotheses were selected, and an analysis of the causes of defect occurrence in casting was conducted. Simulation modeling proved that defect occurrence was due to the formation of a free melt jet and subsequent air capture by this jet. Based on modeling, different gating and feeding system designs were analyzed, which made it possible to choose a variant that provided the uniform filling of gating cavities without forming jet flows and defects. The novelty of this study lies in its optimization of the mold design to prevent free melt jetting and similar defects in other MIM products by modeling feedstock molding processes. The presented results can help enrich the knowledge base of the mold design for MIM and ensure defect-free production.
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publishDate 2025-06-01
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spelling doaj-art-cbe3202eb9a54c009822ac18e5f27f8d2025-08-20T03:27:40ZengMDPI AGJournal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing2504-44942025-06-019620310.3390/jmmp9060203Modeling of Feedstock Formability to Optimize Mold Design and Prevent Possible Defects During Metal Injection MoldingAnatoly Kutsbakh0Alexander Muranov1Alexey Pervushin2Alexey Semenov3Institute for Design-Technology Informatics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 127055 Moscow, RussiaInstitute for Design-Technology Informatics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 127055 Moscow, Russia“AURUS-AERO” Limited Liability Company, 125315 Moscow, RussiaJoint Stock Company “TUPOLEV”, 105005 Moscow, RussiaMetal injection molding (MIM) is a current technology used to produce products with complex shapes. Despite the accumulated worldwide experience in using this technology, manufacturers sometimes fail to launch new products of proper quality. Often, this is because defects can occur at the casting stage, the prevention of which is impossible through the use of standard design and technological solutions of molds design and the experimental selection of technological modes. This study aimed to analyze the causes of such defects in the green part and optimize the mold design to ensure defect-free casting, which was impossible for the manufacturer using standard solutions. The core method used in this study was simulation modeling of the casting process. A hypotheses were selected, and an analysis of the causes of defect occurrence in casting was conducted. Simulation modeling proved that defect occurrence was due to the formation of a free melt jet and subsequent air capture by this jet. Based on modeling, different gating and feeding system designs were analyzed, which made it possible to choose a variant that provided the uniform filling of gating cavities without forming jet flows and defects. The novelty of this study lies in its optimization of the mold design to prevent free melt jetting and similar defects in other MIM products by modeling feedstock molding processes. The presented results can help enrich the knowledge base of the mold design for MIM and ensure defect-free production.https://www.mdpi.com/2504-4494/9/6/203MIM technologythixotropic metallurgyfeedstockpolymer powdergreen partinjection molding
spellingShingle Anatoly Kutsbakh
Alexander Muranov
Alexey Pervushin
Alexey Semenov
Modeling of Feedstock Formability to Optimize Mold Design and Prevent Possible Defects During Metal Injection Molding
Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing
MIM technology
thixotropic metallurgy
feedstock
polymer powder
green part
injection molding
title Modeling of Feedstock Formability to Optimize Mold Design and Prevent Possible Defects During Metal Injection Molding
title_full Modeling of Feedstock Formability to Optimize Mold Design and Prevent Possible Defects During Metal Injection Molding
title_fullStr Modeling of Feedstock Formability to Optimize Mold Design and Prevent Possible Defects During Metal Injection Molding
title_full_unstemmed Modeling of Feedstock Formability to Optimize Mold Design and Prevent Possible Defects During Metal Injection Molding
title_short Modeling of Feedstock Formability to Optimize Mold Design and Prevent Possible Defects During Metal Injection Molding
title_sort modeling of feedstock formability to optimize mold design and prevent possible defects during metal injection molding
topic MIM technology
thixotropic metallurgy
feedstock
polymer powder
green part
injection molding
url https://www.mdpi.com/2504-4494/9/6/203
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AT alexeypervushin modelingoffeedstockformabilitytooptimizemolddesignandpreventpossibledefectsduringmetalinjectionmolding
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