Arburg celebrates 50 years of PIM expertise

The Arburg Customer Center provided ideal conditions for the anniversary event: between the lectures, intensive technical discussions took place, and the machines with CIM and MIM applications were examined closely.

At the international conference, the four main speakers answered the questions of the participants. The panel (from left): Prof. Dr. Frank Petzoldt, Fraunhofer IFAM, Ingo Cremer, Cremer Thermoprozessanlagen GmbH and EPMA President, Prof. Dr. Kuen-Shyan Hwang, National Taiwan University, Bruce Dionne, Vice President and General Manager at Megamet Solid Metals, Inc., and MIMA President, together with Stephan Doehler, Arburg Sales Director Europe, who moderated the event.

Celebrated the 1,000th PIM Allrounder: Comadur Purchasing Manager Patrice Jaggy (second from left) and Arburg Technical Managing Director Herbert Kraibühler (third from left) together with the Arburg shareholders Juliane Hehl, Michael Hehl, Renate Keinath (right) and Eugen Hehl (left).

As a pioneer of Powder Injection Molding (PIM), Arburg invited industry experts on June 5 and 6, 2013, to Loßburg to appropriately celebrate the anniversary "50 Years of Arburg PIM Expertise." The focus of the two-day event was an international conference with around 200 invited guests from 25 countries and 16 presentations by renowned PIM experts from Europe, Asia, and North America. A major surprise of the evening event was the presentation of the 1,000th PIM Allrounder, which was ceremoniously handed over to the Swiss company Comadur.

The conference panel was staffed with high-profile international specialists from research, industry, and associations. During the 16 presentations, not only were applications, technologies, developments, and future prospects of the industry discussed, but there was also intensive discussion with the participants afterward. They praised the international character of the event, which was unique for the PIM industry and offered the first opportunity to meet around 200 PIM professionals centrally and to conduct cross-continental technical discussions.

Conference covers all aspects of the PIM industry
The range of topics at the conference was very broad and included both ceramic and metal injection molding (CIM, MIM). The PIM industry in Europe, Asia, and North America was examined, as well as research and development perspectives. Important sectors such as the automotive industry, jewelry and watchmaking industry, IT sector, and dental sector were presented, showcasing successful applications of PIM products. Additionally, the presentations covered the entire value chain: from the influence of feedstock preparation on component quality, through the demanding production of micro-PIM parts, to economical assembly integration and manufacturing with complete turnkey systems.

Theory and practice combined at the Customer Center
The central venue for the anniversary event was the Arburg Customer Center, which provided excellent conditions for the diverse program. Guests could experience live powder injection molding during breaks between presentations, with seven exhibits. These included buccal tubes for fixed braces made of stainless steel, zirconia drills for the dental sector, intermediate levers for the automotive industry, carbide cutters with internal threads, delicate wheels from Märklin’s Millennium locomotive "Crocodile," triangular ceramic cups, and a keychain with two moving parts. The applications demonstrated not only the range and potential of ceramic and metal injection molding but also showcased recent developments. While the buccal tube tool is over 30 years old, the keychain tool with a liquid-tempered hot runner exemplifies current trends in the PIM sector. Furthermore, the performance of horizontal and vertical all-rounder injection molding machines for powder injection molding was impressively demonstrated. Visitors from around the world could see how Arburg machines are produced during factory tours offered in German, English, French, Spanish, and Chinese.

A look back at 50 years of PIM expertise
In keeping with the occasion, not only current topics were on the agenda, but also retrospectives on 50 years of Arburg PIM expertise.
The successful development was recounted by, among others, Sales Managing Director Helmut Heinson in his opening speech and Stephan Doehler, Head of Sales Europe, who moderated the entire event. The history of PIM processing at Arburg began in 1963 with the production of the first ceramic part on an Allrounder 200 S by Feldmühle. It was a geometrically complex "Sauschwanz" (pig's tail) thread guide for the textile industry. Hans Jud, former board member of Ceramtec (formerly Feldmühle), reported on this period during the evening program.

Comprehensive support
In the following years, demand for the process itself and for machines for powder injection molding steadily increased, and the company continuously developed machinery, materials, and processes—often in collaboration with other experts. An in-house PIM laboratory was also established. Thanks to comprehensive equipment, not only injection molding but also all upstream and downstream production steps such as material preparation, debinding, sintering, and part analysis can be tested under real-world conditions. Customers receive full support from the PIM team, consisting of Hartmut Walcher (application consulting), Marko Maetzig (process development), and Uwe Haupt (sales/key account).

1,000 Allrounders for the PIM industry: Anniversary machine goes to Comadur
Over the decades, hundreds of machines have been delivered to this industry, making it possible to celebrate another milestone: the handover of the 1,000th PIM Allrounder. This machine was delivered to the Swiss company Comadur, which produces high-quality components for the watch industry. In his speech, Technical Managing Director Herbert Kraibühler recounted how Comadur entered powder injection molding over 20 years ago with Arburg’s support to produce chain links for watch straps. Initial problems were solved by Arburg, laying the foundation for a successful partnership and joint developments. Over the years, Arburg has been not only a machine supplier but also an application technology consultant.

Moreover, Comadur was one of the first customers to use carbide screws to achieve longer service life. Together, the screws were further optimized and brought to series maturity. The production of black and white ceramic parts for watch cases and parts for bracelets is carried out exclusively on Allrounders. The anniversary machine expands Comadur’s machine fleet to 21 Allrounders. Additionally, with the new Allrounder 270 A, an electric machine is being used for the first time.

During the official handover of the 1,000th PIM Allrounder, Herbert Kraibühler presented Patrice Jaggy, Purchasing Manager at Comadur, with the certificate and an additional plasticizing unit in carbide version. On behalf of Comadur, Patrice Jaggy thanked the shareholders and managing directors of Arburg and praised the excellent event, which provided participants with impulses for new developments. Other official congratulators included Claus Joens, CEO of Elnik Systems, LLC, and Bruce Dionne, Vice President and General Manager at Megamet Solid Metals, Inc., and President of the Metal Injection Molding Association (MIMA).

Entertaining program of the anniversary event
The event was complemented on the first evening by a performance by the science comedians "Physikanten," who combined spectacular experiments and astonishing effects with comedy in their intelligent science show, tailored to the theme of powder injection molding. The unanimous conclusion among participants worldwide was: "Thanks to the international character and the diverse program with expert lectures, practical applications, expert discussions, and a festive evening event, the anniversary was simply unique."