The Benefits of MIM

At Dean Group, we offer a large number of services that allow us to create high-quality castings and metal components. With each project having different needs and specifications, it is important that we identify which process is ideally suited to create components that are accurate and high-quality, meeting the requirements of your project, whether that is concerning quality, speed, budget, or any other element.

With this in mind, we shall take a look at the process of metal injection moulding, or MIM, and what benefits it could offer to your project.

What is Metal Injection Moulding?

The metal injection moulding process involves the use of a steel tool which is cut from 3D CAD data. A high-grade metal powder is then injected into the tool, with or without a binding agent, and compressed under hydraulic pressure, creating the shape. This pre-sintered “green” part is proportionally larger than the finished item to allow for shrinkage during the further process steps. The ‘green’ parts are then passed through a controlled atmosphere furnace which produces the final sintered part.

The process is incredibly accurate, meaning that there is little to no need to use post-machining.

What are the Benefits of Metal Injection Moulding?

There are many benefits associated with the process of metal injection moulding. These include, but are not limited to:

• The ability to produce small, complex and intricate shapes
• The production of high volumes at a low piece price
• Excellent dimensional accuracy
• Exceptional surface finish
• The need for post-machining is generally eliminated
• The element of consistency and repeatability
• High part integrity

All of these benefits mean that you do not have to compromise on budget or quality in order to meet your requirements. Instead, you get high-integrity components in complex shapes in high volumes but low prices. As the need for post-machining is generally eliminated, there is the added benefit that time is saved, so you may experience a faster turnaround with metal injection moulding compared to some other casting processes.

The component that is produced by metal injection moulding has a huge range of market applications, from automotive to aerospace and rail.

At Dean Group, we offer a number of services so you can be sure that whatever the requirements and needs of your project, you can find a process that will suit perfectly. Our experts are able to identify the best process for your project, so if you would like to talk to a member of our team about what you are looking for, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by calling 0161 775 1633, drop and email to info@deangroup-int.co.uk or make an enquiry through our website.

You can read more about our different services by finding the relevant page or by checking our news page. Here are just a few of our articles which explain a little bit about our services and processes:

‘What is Investment Casting?’

‘The ELITE Process: Why Should You Choose it?’

‘Spotlight On: Impeller Castings’

Please do take a look at our latest blog posts and make sure to keep up to date with our latest news by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.