MIM2018 Concludes in California

MIM2018, International Conference on Injection Molding of Metals, Ceramics and Carbides, concluded in sunny Irvine, California, last week. This year’s MIM conference was the largest to date, breaking attendance records by more than 15%, with over 180 attendees representing 104 companies from 16 countries. A reception was held at molding machine manufacturer Arburg.

The conference kicked off with Keynote Speaker Benedikt Blitz, SMR Premium, who highlighted the recent developments in the world of remelted steels. Blitz was just the beginning of a string of presentations that provided attendees with a wealth of information.

In addition to technical sessions, 30 companies showcased their products and services during a tabletop exhibit that followed Tuesday’s presentations. Twenty-four of the exhibitors provided “infomercials” for their companies intermittently throughout the day on Tuesday.

Following the successful launch of a student grant program at MIM2017, the Metal Injection Molding Association again provided seven students with a grant to attend the conference and present a technical presentation. Not only were the grant recipients given the opportunity to hear cutting-edge presentations, make connections with professionals in the field, and gain exposure to the MIM industry, but each provided a presentation on work at their universities.

This year’s grant-winning students were:

• Aboubakry Agne, University of Franche–Comte, France
• Mohith Ram Buxani, University of Louisville, United States
• Subrata Deb Nath, University of Louisville, United States
• Jae Man Park, Pohang University of Science and Technology, South Korea
• Paramjot Singh, University of Louisville, United States
• Xuehiu Yang, Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis, United States
• Yi Zhang, Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis, United States

Prior to the MIM2018 conference, the Powder Injection Molding (PIM) Tutorial was presented by Rand German, Professor Emeritus of San Diego State University, and attracted 50 students—a 30% increase over last year’s PIM Tutorial. The PIM Tutorial is a great way for individuals who are looking for a solid grounding in the technology of PIM to obtain a comprehensive foundation in a short period of time.

The attendance breakdown this year consisted of 23% equipment & service providers, 17% powder & feedstock suppliers, 14% end users/consumers, 35% parts manufacturers, and 11% other.

If you missed MIM2018 and would like to attend next year, mark your calendars for February 25–27, 2019, for MIM2019 in Orlando, Florida.

Visit MIM2019.org for details!