In MIM, plastic injection molding meets powdered metallurgy to produce precise, complex parts in large quantities, even with metals that cannot be die cast, like stainless steel and low alloy steels.
Metal injection molding is a metalworking process in which finely-powdered metal mixed with a binder material. Compared to casting and forging, MIM usually provides better results for small sizes, complex shapes, and high-volume demand. Molds are often made of steel, and they can contain 3D geometry and cavities to produce high-volume and complex parts.While MIM parts don’t generally have a low raw cost, the material is pricey, and that goes for the molds, too. However, there are some definite advantages to using MIM parts. Since they can be heat treated (since they’re already tough when you make them), you won’t need to finish them – no extra work needed. And since there isn’t any machine-smoothing of the surfaces needed, these parts can be made in shapes that would either be impossible or too expensive to achieve with machining.