Manufacture of μ-PIM gear mold by electroforming of Fe-Ni and Fe-Ni-W alloys
(1. Heat Treatment & Plating Technology Center, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Inchon, Korea;
2. Advanced Fusion Process R&D Group, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Inc)
2. Advanced Fusion Process R&D Group, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Inc)
Abstract: The micro gear mold for powder injection molding was made by electroforming process of Fe-Ni and Fe-Ni-W alloys using UV-lithography process. Kinetics and activation energies in electroplating of both alloys were investigated to determine the best process conditions. Fe content within electrodeposited Fe-Ni alloys increased with the increase of rotating disk speed and the decrease of temperature and it is considered from the calculated activation energy of iron content that the rate determining step is controlled by mass transfer. Iron content in Fe-Ni electrodeposit varied from 58.33% to 70.45% by increasing current density from 2 to 6 A/dm2. Also, iron content in Fe-Ni-W electrodeposit increased from 59.32% to 70.15%, nickel content decreased from 27.86% to 17.07% and the content of tungsten was almost consistent in the range of 12.78%-12.82% although the current density increases from 1.5 to 5 A/dm2. For the electroforming of micro gear mold, SU-8 mandrel with 550 μm in diameter and 400 μm in height was prepared by UV-lithography processing. Subsequently, Fe-36Ni and Fe-20Ni-13W alloys micro gear molds were electroformed successfully. Surface hardness values of the electroformed micro molds were measured to be HV490 and HV645, respectively.
Key words: electroforming; Fe-Ni alloy; Fe-Ni-W alloy; gear mold; PIM