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MIM — metal injection moulding — definition
Metal powder mixed with a binder is injection moulded, debound and sintered into a dense metal part.
MIM combines the design freedom of injection moulding with the properties of metal. The part is moulded like a plastic part, the binder is removed, and the powder is sintered together at high temperature. The part shrinks substantially during sintering, and that shrinkage has to be compensated in the tool.
The method is strong on small, complicated parts in high volume — typically below a few tens of grams. Above that weight the material cost and the sintering quickly become uneconomic, and casting takes over.
For a component manufacturer in aluminium and zinc, MIM is therefore rarely a direct competitor, but it is worth knowing about when the part is small enough.