Key principles.
Uniform
Like plastic injection — uniform walls reduce defects. 0.5-5 mm typical, 2-3 mm sweet spot.
50,000+
MIM economical above 50,000 pcs/year. Below, CNC or casting cheaper.
Small
Best for parts < 100g. Larger parts struggle with uniform shrinkage.
Possible
±0.3% achievable, similar to investment casting. Tighter requires post-machining.
Metal alloys
Stainless 304/316/420, low-alloy steels, copper, titanium. Material range expanding.
Excellent
Internal features, undercuts, thin walls — all MIM strengths vs traditional metal forming.
FAQ
MIM: smaller parts (< 100g), higher volumes, better dimensional consistency. Investment casting: larger parts, more material flexibility.
MIM: high volume, complex shape, lower per-part cost above 50K. CNC: any volume, design flexibility, prototype-friendly.
±0.3% as-sintered. Post-machining brings critical features to ±0.025 mm.
MIM achieves 95-98% density. Properties approach (90%) wrought equivalent for most applications.
Ra 1-3 µm as-sintered. Better with secondary operations.
MIM tool similar to plastic injection: $20-100K. Amortized over 50K+ piece volume.
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