MIM is economically attractive to manufacturers-especially against parts that require machining. Machined parts require a considerable amount of labor and a lot of material is lost during the process. When parts are molded in mass quantities, MIM-type parts can offer substantial savings. Furthermore, the more complex the part, the more cost reduction the customer can realize.

The quest for industrialization and automation has seen the development of various manufacturing technologies. While traditional methods like machining, stamping, forging, casting and powder metallurgy remain important, MIM is fast becoming an integral process in metal forming.

Almost any high melting point ferrous metal that can be produced in a suitable powder form can be processed by MIM. MIM offers the following benefits:

• Attractive cost savings
• Wide latitude of part shape, sizes (0.1g to 250g) and design
• Ability to combine functions and eliminate sub-assemblies
• Good dimensional control with close tolerances of +/- 0.5%
• Net shape production, eliminating or minimizes machining
• Wide range of available alloys, composites and properties
• Cost efficient for moderate-to-high production volume
• Suitable for intricate and complex Geometries
• High Material Density and Strength
• Design Flexibility
• Produce Good Surface Finishes

MIM technology combines the shape making capabilities of plastic injection molding with the material flexibility of powder metallurgy. Taking advantage of unique process capabilities, it allows the combining of two or more components into one complex geometry or co-molding and bonding dissimilar materials. Combining fine metal powders with a "binder" system, components are injection molded, de-bound and sintered, resulting in high-density, complex, precisely-shaped parts exhibiting properties approaching that of wrought material. Alloy and stainless steel, as well as other non-ferrous alloys such as titanium, are common materials for MIM.