Design of metal injection molding(MIM)

Complex shapes:The metal injection molding(MIM) like plastic injection Molding, allowing the three dimensional shape design.Because the MIM is a molding process, additional product shape doesn’t increase the cost, through the shape design of weight loss, but the cost will decline, which makes the MIM will become a more independent parts assembled into the ideal way of multi-functional parts.Design rules of plastic injection molding and metal injection molding (MIM) are very close, It is easy to adapt to the shape of complex metal parts.

Size precision:MIM or PIM(powder injection molding) of near net shape precision is usually the size of ±0.5%.  Certain size characteristics can achieve ±0.3%.As with other technologies, high precision means higher costs, so in the case of usage can  relaxed tolerances.MIM can not directly meet tolerance can be realized through the subsequent processing.

Wall thickness less than 6 mm is more appropriate for MIM.Thick outer wall can also be processed, but the process time and material costs will increase.MIM technology can produce less than 0.5 mm of thin-wall, Sofine Gian can do minimum 0.2 mm thin wall products (dependence on the specific product shape).

Weight :MIM is suitable for the parts weight is less than 100 grams, less than 50 grams is the most common applications.However, weight of 250 grams of components also can use the MIM process.The cost of raw material is the key to the MIM process factors.The MIM early stage of product design as much as possible to reduce the weight of the parts.As with plastic injection products, by the kernel and stents to reduce the weight of the parts.The MIM performed very well in terms of micro parts, the weight is less than 0.1 grams is also possible. Length of more than 250 mm products also can do it.

Batch size:For MIM products, mold and pre-product development process is necessary for MIM process, so for small quantities of products (annual demand of less than thousands of pieces) , it usually affects the decision-making process.

Raw materials:MIM process can handle many materials, including iron alloy, stainless steel, copper, KOVAR alloy, high temperature alloy, hard alloy, etc.