Simulation of micro powder injection moulding: Powder segregation and yield stress effects during form filling

We report on our development of a computational tool for the simulation of micro powder injection moulding (micro-PIM) based on a description of the fluid flow by the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method. The feedstocks used in micro-PIM expose rather complicated rheological features. Insertion of appropriate material models is discussed, as, e.g., the yield stress behaviour. Insight is gained into the moulding process through simulation of the injection into a bending specimen with an obstacle in the flow as an example. The effect of shear induced migration is shown to be reproduced and compared to the segregation phenomena arising in experimental findings.