Qualification Method For Powder Injection Molded Components

The PIM process produces net-shape or near netshape parts at a reduced manufacturing cost; however, significant process and product qualification is required to ensure that the final product is acceptable. The level of qualification depends upon the end use of the product. It could be as simple as making a prototype part or as complicated as characterizing and controlling the entire process. As a rule, medical and aerospace products require the greatest amount of qualification and less critical products such as tools and consumer products require the least. In this paper, a guideline is presented to qualify a PIM process that meets a final specification at a minimum cost. A rationale for choosing only the most critical process control methods is presented.