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News Release from: P I Castings. Metal Injection Mouldings | Subject: Metal Injection Moulding
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 21 November 2005
Metals injection moulds steels and
alloys
Metal injection moulding proiduces parts in steel in a similar way to plastic injection moulding with complex shapes, fine detail, accurate dimensions and smooth surfaces, at economic costs.
Metal injection moulding is a fascinating process doing the almost impossible - making parts in steel in a similar way to plastic injection moulding The 'MIM' production technique enables the manufacture of parts with complex shapes, fine detail, accurate dimensions and smooth surfaces, at economic costs
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 21 Nov 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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The process is a design engineer's dream, allowing the same types of parts typically made in plastics, to be produced in low alloy steels, stainless steels, tool steels, magnetic irons, Invar and Kovar.
Excellent properties are achieved and MIM parts can be bent, hardened, welded, machined or polished, just like any other metal.
As the MIM process uses similar tooling to plastic injection moulding, it is best suited to medium or high quantity requirements, although just a few thousand can be viable if alternative manufacturing methods are expensive.
Close tolerances mean that most finish machining is eliminated and as the smooth surface is readily polished, MIM parts are ideally suited for medical device components, surgical instruments, dental equipment, electronics and computers, hand tools and precision engineering components.
The full advantages of Metal Injection Mouldings are best exploited by designing specifically for the process.
Intricate features can be produced such as serrations, teeth, odd-shaped holes, flat-bottomed holes, blind recesses, lettering, internal and external threads.
Complex shapes and detail that is not normally economically possible by other manufacturing methods, can now be produced by metal injection moulding.
The more complex the design, the more economically advantageous MIM becomes.
Designers can let their ideas run wild! See Metal Injection Mouldings on Stand No.
K40 at the Southern Manufacturing show, UK.
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