Processability of SS316L powder - binder mixtures for vertical extrusion and deposition on table tests

摘要

Metal injection molding (MIM) feedstocks are mixtures made of a solid metal powder and a viscous polymeric binder. Vertical extrusion of MIM feedstock has seldom been investigated in the scientific literature, but it is the enabling technology for extrusion-based additive manufacturing processes (EAM). The EAM process adopts the movement of an extruder, relative to a build table, to deposit thin strands (roads) of the mixture and grow a 3D object, layer by layer. EAM may find applications for the consumer as well as industrial products. This paper addresses some of the challenges involved in achieving a consistent flow of molten feedstock mixture and discusses the consequences of the main process parameters on the extrusion-based manufacturing process. This work also relates the rheological behaviour of feedstock to the extrusion process, aiming at the dimensional stability of parts.