Metal injection molding (MIM) Has Steadily Grown in Recent Years

Metal injection molding (MIM) has become an important part of powder metallurgy and has steadily grown in recent years. It is a molding technology that combines the advantages of plastic injection and powder metallurgy. In this process, fine metal powder is mixed with a high-polymer binder and heated to obtain a flowable feedstock. The feedstock is then injection molded with an injection machine. After debinding and sintering, the formed blank is densified into the final product. MIM can automatically and in large quantities produce small precision-sized, three-dimensional complex components. This process greatly reduces the complex procedures and costs of traditional metal processing, making it competitive in certain industrial applications. MIM is now widely used in the fields of machinery, electronics, automobiles, clocks, optoelectronics, weapons, medical devices, and more. MIM began in the late 1970s and its process includes eight important steps: product design, mold design, quality inspection, mixing, injection, debinding, sintering, and secondary processing. With continuous research, development of new binders, advances in powder production and debinding technology, MIM was industrialized in the early 1990s. Currently, MIM is considered one of the most popular metal component forming technologies in the world.

Compared to traditional powder metallurgy, MIM has the following advantages: 

1. MIM can manufacture products with complex shapes, avoiding the need for secondary machining. 

2. MIM raw materials have a particle size of 2-15μm, whereas PM powder particles are 50-100μm. 

3. MIM products have high density, good corrosion resistance, high strength, and good ductility. 

4. MIM can combine two or more PM products into one MIM product, saving materials and processing steps. 

Compared to precision casting, MIM has the following advantages: 

1. MIM can manufacture thin-walled products with a minimum thickness of 0.2mm. 

2. MIM products have better surface roughness. 

3. MIM greatly reduces the workload of secondary machining. 

4. MIM is more suitable for producing small blind holes and through holes.

5. MIM can quickly and cost-effectively manufacture small parts in large quantities.

Compared to CNC Machining, MIM has the following advantages: 

1. MIM design can save material and reduce weight compared with mechanical machining.

2. MIM can manufacture complex shaped parts that are difficult to machine using traditional methods.

3. MIM can produce complex products in one molding process, avoiding multiple manufacturing procedures.