Metal Injection Molding (MIM) is a popular technology among TOPTITECH customers, particularly for creating delicate little metal components with complex geometries and great precision.
MIM stands as an exceptional method for manufacturing robust, tough, dense, and detailed parts possessing impressive mechanical attributes. It excels in mass production, often proving more cost-effective for bulk orders compared to techniques like investment casting, machining, and even stamping. Offering greater design flexibility than many other processes, MIM eliminates the need for assembling multiple parts to create a final product, even when dealing with intricate designs. Moreover, MIM minimizes material wastage and scrap generation, distinguishing it from alternative manufacturing methods.
Primarily applied in the high-volume production of small, intricate components challenging to fabricate using traditional methods, MIM finds substantial favor in industries such as automotive, defense, medical, and consumer goods.
The process involves injecting metal powder under high pressure into a mold. Upon cooling and solidification, the part can be extracted from the mold and trimmed to specifications. The final part, known as a "green body," is next subjected to sintering. During sintering, the green body is subjected to high temperatures in a furnace, enabling the fusion of metal particles, resulting in a fully dense, pore-free component albeit with slight shrinkage. Compensating for this shrinkage entails designing the mold slightly larger at the outset.
MIM technology facilitates efficient and precise fabrication of metal components through a combination of "mold shaping + high-temperature sintering," particularly suitable for producing intricate micro-metal parts on a large scale.
