Composite Extrusion Modelling (CEM) is an additive manufacturing process using feedstocks made of plastic binders and metal powders known from metal injection molding (MIM). With this process, complex metallic components can be produced quickly after the necessary debinding and sintering processes.

The aim of the cooperation project is to develop a new process chain for the cost-effective and fast production of injection moulding tools. So far, periods of up to eight weeks are needed to produce an injection mold. With the development of this project, the deployment time is to be reduced to about five days.

For this purpose, the approach is to be pursued by producing the tool moulds using the CEM process. As a relatively young method for the production of additively manufactured components, this process offers the potential to produce equivalent tools much faster than in conventional toolmaking due to high assembly rates. The process can then be used to reduce material and machine costs while at the same time avoiding the problems of additive manufacturing with regard to residual stresses and material adaptations on the individual machines. In this innovative way, tools can be produced 4 to 8 times faster and at the same time more cost-effectively.

Contact: Dr. rer. nat. Abdullah Riaz

Duration: 04/2021 – 10/2023

Founding:Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

Cooperation: Stenzel MIM Technik GmbH