Description
Metal Injection Molding, also
called MIM for short, delivers the precision shape forming ability
of plastic injection molding yet produces nearly **0% dense parts
with machined-like features from your trusted high performance
materials in form of feedstock. The desired part geometry is
created in one shot. None or only minimal finishing is necessary.
Net-shaping allows efficient use of material, as you only need as
much material as the part volume requires. In principle, MIM allows
the same freedom of design as is available from plastic injection
molding, e.g.:
- Almost unlimited complexity of geometry
- Free-form surfaces
- Complex design of inner contours that are difficult to shape by
metal-cutting procedures
- Direct addition of labels and logos, both immersed and
raised
- Inner and outer threads
Parts that can only be manufactured in an extensive and costly
way by metal-cutting procedures are best suited for MIM. If your
part is relatively small, complex shaped, a challenge for
machining, or requires machining, or requires machining a casting
blank, then MIM will probably be able to save money for you. There
are, of course, certain areas where MIM is exclusively viable, as
in forming refractory hard metals.
A typical MIM production route consists of the following
steps:
- Mixing: temporarily adding a multi-component binder into the
powder, compounding the composite into ready-to-mold feedstock
- Molding: shaping the parts from feedstock as in plastic
injection molding
- Debinding: removing the binder in the molded parts
- Sintering: a thermal cycle where debound parts are densified to
a high final density
A predetermined shrinkage takes place during sintering, thus an
equivalent oversizing factor must be considered for the tool
cavities. After sintering, it may require limited secondary
operations to finish the parts, such as tapping, reaming, grinding,
polishing, sandblasting, etc.
The following characteristics are typical for Jiangsu Tech's
MIM products:
- High precision up to ±0.3% of the desired dimensions
(recommended ±0.5%)
- High density, *8% or more of theoretical
- High surface quality, typical Ra-values after sintering are 1
to 3 µm
- Homogeneous microstructure, free of internal flaws
- Competitive tooling and part prices
Although production quantities of **0,**0 pcs or more per year
are attractive, we do not set up a lower limit to the annual
quantities. If a project is small-sized, but can give us a toehold
in new application fields, then we are willing to take on it.
The list of materials below can be processed:
- Low alloy steels: Fe*2Ni, Fe*7Ni, MIM ***5
- Stainless steels: AISI **6L, AISI ***4PH
- Tool steels: M2, **0Cr6, AISI **0, AISI **0C
- Hard metals: tungsten heavy alloy, tungsten carbide (WC),
cemented carbide (WC-Co), tungsten-copper (W-Cu)
- Soft magnetic alloys: Fe*2Ni, Fe**0Ni, Fe**0Ni, Fe*3Si, Fe*7Si,
AISI **0L, iron
- Controlled expansion alloys: Fe**6Ni (Invar), Fe**2Ni, ASTM F*5
(Kovar)
At Jiangsu Tech, we deliver not just parts, but precision,
innovation and continued satisfaction.
