Simulation and Modeling of Sintering Process for 316L Stainless Steel Metal Injection Molding Parts

The metal injection molding (MIM) process allows the manufacturing of small and very complex metallic components. The metal injection molding processing combines the shaping capability of polymer injection molding with the large material variety of metals and ceramics. This paper discusses in detail the development of a numerical model capable of simulating micro-structural evolution and macroscopic deformation during sintering of complex powder compacts. A sintering model based on elastic–viscoplastic constitutive equations was proposed and the corresponding parameters such as bulk viscosity, shearing viscosity and sintering stress were identified from dilatometer experimental data. The constitutive model was then implemented into finite element software in order to perform the simulation of the sintering process. The numerical simulation methods being compared against results of the sintering experiments. The experimental data were obtained from sintering of 316L stainless steel powders.