Method to form multi-material components
US6461563B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 11, 2000 |
| Grant date | Oct 8, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 19, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T428/12028
- WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
The invention shows how powder injection molding may be used to form a continuous body having multiple parts, each of which has different physical properties such as magnetic characteristics or hardness. This is accomplished through careful control of the relative shrinkage rates of these various parts. Additionally, care is taken to ensure that only certain selected physical properties are allowed to differ between the parts while others may be altered through relatively small changes in the composition of the feedstocks used. An additional application of the present invention is a process for forming, in a single integrated operation, an object that is contained within an enclosure while not being attached to said enclosure. This is accomplished by causing the shrinkage rate of the object to be substantially greater than that of the enclosure. As a result, after sintering, the object is found to have detached itself from the enclosure and is free to move around therein. Several examples of structures formed using these processes are presented.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.