Liquidmetal
Liquidmetal Process
An injection molding process is used to produce amorphous metal parts that can hold close tolerances and have great mechanical properties
Small batches of feedstock are melted in a vacuum chamber to avoid contamination from Oxygen. The melted alloy is poured into the shot sleeve where a plunger pushes the material into a steel mold.
The Liquidmetal part comes out of the mold to net shape and with full physical properties. Secondary processes to remove the part from the runner and overflows are necessary.
Metal Injection Molding vs Liquidmetal Process
Metal Injection Molding
Powder Metal Injection Molding (PMIM or MIM) is used for steel alloys with high melting temperatures. A feed stock of the alloy is made into a fine powder and mixed with a polymer powder. A continuous mass of this mixture is conveyed with a rotating screw through a heated barrel.The polymer is melted and acts as a carrier for the metal powder to be injection molded. A metering plunger presses the necessary material into a steel mold. The result is a metal part containing 20% polymer.The polymer is removed from the molded part with a thermal/chemical process called debinding. After that, the porous metal part is compacted into a solid with a long heating process called sintering..
Liquid Metal Process
Amorphous Metal Molding uses a Non-ferrous alloy designed to have an amorphous atomic structure in a solid state. Small batches of feedstock are melted in a vacuum chamber to avoid contamination from Oxygen. The melted alloy is poured into the shot sleeve where a plunger pushes the material into a steel mold.The Liquidmetal part comes out of the mold to net shape, great precision, and with full physical properties. Secondary processes to remove the part from the runner and overflows are necessary.
