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This study aims to enhance merging of additive manufacturing (AM) techniques with powder injection molding (PIM). In this way, the prototypes could be 3D-printed and mass production implemented using PIM. Thus, the surface properties and mechanical performance of parts produced using powder/polymer binder feedstocks [material extrusion (MEX) and PIM] were investigated and compared with powder manufacturing based on direct metal laser sintering (DMLS).

PIM parts were manufactured from 17-4PH stainless steel PIM-quality powder and powder intended for powder bed fusion compounded with a recently developed environmentally benign binder. Rheological data obtained at the relevant temperatures were used to set up the process parameters of injection molding. The tensile and yield strengths as well as the strain at break were determined for PIM sintered parts and compared to those produced using MEX and DMLS. Surface properties were evaluated through a 3D scanner and analyzed with advanced statistical tools.

Advanced statistical analyses of the surface properties showed the proximity between the surfaces created via PIM and MEX. The tensile and yield strengths, as well as the strain at break, suggested that DMLS provides sintered samples with the highest strength and ductility; however, PIM parts made from environmentally benign feedstock may successfully compete with this manufacturing route.

This study addresses the issues connected to the merging of two environmentally efficient processing routes. The literature survey included has shown that there is so far no study comparing AM and PIM techniques systematically on the fixed part shape and dimensions using advanced statistical tools to derive the proximity of the investigated processing routes.

This paper aims to compare the wear behavior, surface roughness, friction coefficient and volume loss of high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) sprayed WC–Co and WC–Cr₃C₂–Ni coatings on AISI 1095 steel with spraying times of 10 and 15 s.

In this study, the pin-on-disc testing technique was used to evaluate the wear characteristics at a speed of 0.24 m/s, load of 40 N and test time of 60 min under dry conditions at room temperature. The wear characteristics were examined and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The surface roughness of a coated surface was measured, and microhardness measurements were performed on the cross-sectioned and polished surfaces of the coating.

Spraying time and powder material affected the hardness of HVOF coatings due to differences in the porosity of the coated layers. The average hardness of the WC–Cr₃C₂–Ni coating with a spaying time of 15 s was approximately 14% higher than that of the WC–Cr₃C₂–Ni coating with a spraying time of 10 s. Under an applied load of 40 N, the WC–Co coating with a spraying time of 15 s had the lowest variation in the friction coefficient compared with the other coatings. The WC–Co coating with a spraying time of 10 s had the lowest average and variation in volume loss compared to the other coatings. The WC–Cr₃C₂–Ni coating with a spraying time of 10 s exhibited the highest average volume loss. The wear features changed slightly with the spraying time owing to variations in the hardness and friction coefficient.

This study investigated tribological performance of WC–Co; WC-Cr₃C₂-Ni coatings with spraying times of 10 and 15 s using pin-on-disc tribometer by rotating the relatively soft pin (C45 steel) against hard coated substrate (disc).