Metal Injection Molding (MIM) Services Specifications

Help with Metal Injection Molding (MIM) Services specifications:

Materials

	Metal Types:		Some of the considerations for raw material selection include impact strength, high and low temperature characteristics, wear resistance characteristics, machinability, and hardness requirements.
	Your choices are...
	Copper		Copper is a common, reddish, metallic element that is ductile and malleable and is one of the best conductors of heat and electricity.
	Iron-Nickel Alloy		This refers to a metal alloy consisting of a mixture of nickel and iron. Iron-nickel alloys have special magnetic properties that vary with the amount of nickel. These alloys cannot be hardened by thermal treatment, only though cold work. Iron-nickel alloys have poor machinability characteristics.
	Tungsten-Copper Alloy		Tungsten alloyed with copper is a hard material with good electrical conductivity.
	Carbon Steel		Carbon steel is a commercial iron that contains carbon in any amount up to about 1.7 percent as an essential alloying constituent. It is malleable under suitable conditions and distinguished from cast iron by its malleability and lower carbon content.
	Nickel Steel		Nickel steel is a steel containing nickel as an alloying element. Varying amounts of nickel are added to increase the strength in the normalized condition and to allow for hardening to be performed in oil or air instead of water.
	Stainless Steel		Stainless steel is a wide variety of chemical and corrosion resistant steels which contain a high percentage of chromium.  Stainless steel is resistant to corrosion by weak mineral acids, organic acids, and atmospheric oxidation.
	Superalloys (Inconel 713, etc.)		Superalloys are nickel, cobalt, or iron-base alloys designed for very high temperature applications where relatively high stresses (tensile, thermal, vibratory, and shock) are encountered and where oxidation resistance is frequently required.
	Titanium Alloys		Titanium alloys contain alloy additions of aluminum, manganese, tin, or vanadium, which strengthen the titanium matrix. They cannot be hardened through any heat-treating process, but can be hardened by cold work. During machining, titanium alloys have a tendency to gall or weld themselves to the cutting tools; this can be resolved with the proper coolant.
	Tool Steel		Tool steel is a generic term for a wide range of both carbon and alloy steels. They are used for surfaces that must hold an edge or have good wear-resistance characteristics. Tool steel applications include cutting tools, press tools, hand tools, molds for plastics and die-casting, and extrusion tools.
	Other		This refers to other unlisted or unspecified material types.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

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Services

	Services Offered:
	Your choices are...
	Clean Room Molding		Clean room molding describes a molding process that takes place within a certified cleanroom.
	Micro Molding		Micro molding uses special miniature molding machines to produce very small parts that typically weigh less than two grams. Micro molding serves a variety of industries and is used in medical, automotive and consumer electronics applications.
	Powder Metal (P/M) Services		The powder metal services (P/M) process uses pressure and heat to form precision parts and shapes. The process begins by filling a die with powder that is compacted at room temperature to form an engineered shape like a gear. Next, This compacted shape is ejected from the press and fed through a high-temperature furnace. This process, called sintering, metallurgically fuses the particles without melting them. After sintering, there are a variety of secondary operations that can be performed, including: sizing, plating, coining, CNC machining, CNC turning, ID/OD grinding, surface grinding, tumbling, drilling, tapping, heat treating, steam treating, and impregnation.
	Thixoforming Services		Thixoforming is a process of manufacturing components from a semi-solid, heated metal. The semi-solid metal is injection molded to form complex, high-density parts. Thixoforming yields stronger parts than those made with conventional die-casting.
	Prototype		Suppliers can create prototypes to lend substance to ideas or investigate true manufacturing costs.
	Low Volume Production		Suppliers are capable of performing low volume production runs, generally with a production run time of less than one week.
	High Volume Production		Suppliers are capable of performing high volume production runs, generally with a production run time of more than a week.
	Assembly Services		Suppliers provide secondary operations and assembly services such as electro-mechanical assemblies, ultrasonic and heat welding, printing, painting, bonding, and machining.
	Coining		Coining is a compressive metal-flow process where the die and punch are completely closed on the workpiece being formed.
	Design Assistance		With design assistance, suppliers can assist with concepts, manufacturing costs, manufacturing techniques and material considerations. Suppliers may also be able to assist in upgrading or redesigning, re-evaluating or modernizing existing products to increase performance and/or reduce manufacturing costs. Some suppliers offer material sourcing and CAD modeling as well.
	Graphics		Supplier can mold-in or mold-on graphics, such as company logos, warning labels, and instructions. Mold-in graphics incorporate a decal into a molded part. The decal is applied to the mold surface and becomes integral to the molded component.  Mold-on graphics can be applied after the part is molded.
	Heat Treating / Stress Relieving		Heat treating is a broad category of metal treating processes such as annealing, passivating, hardening, etc.  Stress relieving may be important to relieve residual stresses imposed during the stamping process.
	Just-In-Time Capability		Suppliers have just-in-time manufacturing capabilities in order to reduce the need for inventory maintenance.
	Machining		Machining is the removal of material through milling, turning, drilling, and other processes.
	Packaging / Shipping		Suppliers provide packaging and shipping capabilities, including bulk shipments, for further processing or final packaging and shipping of products or devices directly to the individual end customer.
	Plating		Plating processes apply a thin coating of metal onto another metal surface. Many different processes and plating materials are available.
	Polishing / Buffing		Polishing, buffing, and belting processes are abrasive, metal smoothing operations that change the surface appearance of the metal. These operations can be for aesthetic and/or functional purposes.
	Tool / Mold Making		Suppliers have in-house expertise and a tool shop to create molding / tooling necessary for production.
	Training in MIM Technology		Suppler offers training in the Metal Injection Molding (MIM) process.
	Other		Other, unlisted, or proprietary service.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

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Location

	Your choices are...
	North America		Companies are located in the United States, Canada or Mexico.
	United States Only		Companies are located in the United States.
	Northeast US Only		Companies are located in the Northeast United States, namely Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
	Southern US Only		Companies are located in the Southern United States, namely Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C., and West Virginia.
	Southwest US Only		Companies are located in the Southwest United States, namely Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.
	Northwest US Only		Companies are located in the Northwest United States, namely Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.
	Midwest US Only		Companies are located in the Midwest United States, namely Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
	Canada Only		Companies are located in Canada.
	South / Central America Only		Companies have facilities in South American countries such as Argentina, Brazil, or Chile; or in Central American countries such as Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, etc.
	Europe Only		Companies are located in Europe, namely Germany, Ireland, Italy, United Kingdom, etc.
	South Asia Only		Companies are located in South Asia, namely India, Pakistan, Nepal, etc.
	Near East Only		Companies are located in the Near East, namely Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, etc.
	East Asia / Pacific Only		Companies are located in East Asia, namely China, Japan, Taiwan, etc.
	Oceania Only		Companies are located in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and a large group of South Pacific islands that include Micronesia, Polynesia, Guam, Fiji, Tonga, etc.
	Africa Only		Companies are located in sub-Saharan Africa.
	Other		Other unlisted country or region.
	Search Logic:		Products with the selected attribute will be returned as matches. Leaving or selecting "No Preference" will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

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