Metal Injection Molding
The Metal Injection Molding (MIM) process allows for complex net-shape components from a variety of compositions. Cost in Metal Injection Molding depends on the material and several other factors, including the component mass, tooling complexity, mold cycle time, debinding and sintering times and other factors. MIM is most effective when the component has holes, slots, ribs, protrusions, and multiple features. Most MIM parts are small, complex, and thin walled, parts that are not easily produced by traditional machining or other fabrication processes.
The MIM strengths of complex shapes, smaller sizes, and large production volumes have found numerous applications in firearms, watches, hand tools, surgical tools, orthodontic brackets, automotive engine parts, electronic packages, cutting tools, and sporting devices.
MIM’s strengths and limiting factors to maximize your benefits:
- The MIM process allows a high degree of automation and is therefore most competitive in volume production.
- MIM parts can be designed with extremely thin walls, fine bore holes, threads and other details. This helps to save weight and material cost.
- The competitiveness of MIM is limited by the relatively high raw material cost as compared to cast metals and alloys. This is the main reason why MIM parts are usually rather small, as the material cost of a small part makes up for a smaller portion of the total manufacturing cost.
- The process is environmentally friendly and needs less energy input than competing processes.
