Patent ID: 7699092

Claim:
A method for operating a metal injection-molding system for use with a mold, the method comprising: using a first injection mechanism to process a molten-metallic alloy; using a second injection mechanism to process a foaming agent; using a stationary platen to support a stationary mold portion of the mold; using a movable platen to support a movable mold portion of the mold, the movable platen being movable relative to the stationary platen, the stationary mold portion and the movable mold portion forming a mold cavity once the movable platen is made to move toward the stationary platen enough as to abut the stationary mold portion against the movable mold portion, the stationary mold portion defining a mold gate leading to the mold cavity; using a clamping mechanism to apply a clamp tonnage between the stationary platen and the movable platen; connecting a combining chamber with the first injection mechanism and with the second injection mechanism; using the combining chamber to receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent being injectable under pressure into the combining chamber, the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent combining, at least in part, under pressure in the combining chamber; and using the combining chamber to convey, under pressure, the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent to the mold, the molten-metallic alloy combined with the foaming agent being solidifiably formable into a molded-foamed-metallic article in the mold, further comprising: using a combining valve of the combining chamber to receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from respective injection mechanisms, the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent combining, at least in part, in the combining valve; using a channel to receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from the combining valve; using a shooting pot valve having a first valve state and a second valve state, in the first valve state, the shooting pot valve does not receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from the channel, and in the second valve state, the shooting pot valve receives the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from the channel; using a shooting pot to receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from the shooting pot valve once the shooting pot valve is placed in the second valve state; using the shooting pot valve to disconnect the channel from the shooting pot once the shooting pot valve is placed in the first valve state; and using a conduit to: (i) receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from the shooting pot valve once the shooting pot valve is placed in the first valve state, and (ii) communicate the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent to the mold gate leading to the mold cavity defined by the mold.