Metal Injection Molding

Custom Metal Injection Molding Parts

Custom metal injection molding represents a high-precision molding solution that combines plastic injection molding technology with powder metallurgy techniques. This approach is particularly well-suited for the mass production of small, complex, and high-precision metal components. Depending on the operating conditions, materials such as stainless steel (304, 316L, 17-4PH), alloy steel, titanium alloy, and special alloy materials can be selected. Post-processing can further enhance their strength, wear resistance, or corrosion resistance.

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Technology and Process

Metal Injection Molding is an advanced manufacturing method that combines powder metallurgy technology with plastic injection molding processes, primarily used for producing small, complex, and high-precision metal components. It is specifically designed for the large-scale production of small, intricate, and precise metal parts. In the MIM process, micrometer-sized metal powders are first mixed with multi-component binders to create a feedstock. This feedstock is then injection-molded to form “green parts” that closely resemble the final shape. Subsequently, the binder is removed through a debinding process, followed by high-temperature sintering in a controlled atmosphere or vacuum environment, which enables the powder particles to achieve metallurgical bonding, ultimately resulting in metal parts with high density and strength.

DFM & Mold Design

The design phase is the core of mold development. By thoroughly analyzing the manufacturability of the product design (DFM) and optimizing the part structure, we ensure that the mold design not only meets production requirements but also maximizes cost reduction and efficiency improvement.

Injection Molding

Using a specialized injection molding machine, the feedstock is injected into a precision mold to obtain “green parts” that closely approximate the final shape. This process enables the one-step molding of complex structures, thin walls, and minute features.

High-Temperature Sintering

High-temperature sintering is conducted in a vacuum or protective atmosphere, facilitating metallurgical bonding between metal powder particles. This results in densification of the parts and the attainment of the desired mechanical properties and dimensional accuracy.

Introduction of the MIM Division

Yize Mould integrates MIM (Metal Injection Molding) mold development with metal powder injection molding, leveraging over two decades of experience in precision mold manufacturing to deeply master the control of powder flow, shrinkage, and sintering deformation. From the mold design phase, it synchronizes the molding and sintering processes to achieve high-consistency mass production of complex and small metal parts, which are widely applied in the medical, electronics, automotive, and precision machinery industries.

2006

Founded in

220

Processing Machines

25

Injection Molding Machines

9

CNC Machines

Custom Metal Injection Molding (MIM) Case Studies

Metal Injection Molding (MIM) is a near-net-shape technology that combines the flexibility of plastic injection molding with the performance advantages of powder metallurgy. It enables the efficient one-step molding of complex, miniature, and precision metal parts that are challenging to manufacture using traditional processes, while delivering performance characteristics close to those of forged components. With its high material utilization rate, exceptional batch consistency, and broad material adaptability, MIM technology has emerged as a core solution for the mass production of high-end precision components in fields such as medical devices, consumer electronics, and automotive industries.

Surgical forceps, tweezers, scissors, micro-graspers, instrument mechanism parts, joint replacement components, dental implants, precision endoscopic parts

Metal Injection Molding for Medical Devices

The reason why MIM technology is highly favored in the medical field is primarily because it can effectively meet the stringent requirements of medical devices in terms of complexity, precision, biocompatibility, and cost-effectiveness for mass production.

Available Materials:	Stainless Steel 304/316L/17-4PH Alloy Steel Titanium Alloy Special Alloy Materials
Post-processing Techniques:	Polishing, Turning, Milling, Grinding, EDM, CNC, etc.
Price:	Negotiable
Production Lead Time:	Subject to product complexity, typically 15–20 days

Hinges, housing structural components, shock-absorbing parts for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) gimbals, heat dissipation device parts, transmission components

Metal Injection Molding for Consumer Electronics

MIM enables the one-step molding of complex three-dimensional structures that are difficult or even impossible to achieve through traditional machining methods (such as CNC), such as components with internal cavities, complex curved surfaces, and fine holes. This is crucial for consumer electronics products that pursue ultimate space utilization and functional integration.

Available Materials:	Stainless Steel 304/316L/17-4PH Alloy Steel Titanium Alloy Special Alloy Materials
Post-processing Techniques:	Polishing, Turning, Milling, Grinding, EDM, CNC, etc.
Price:	Negotiable
Production Lead Time:	Subject to product complexity, typically 15–20 days

Filter cavities, antenna tuning components, optical module housings

Metal Injection Molding for Communication Equipment

Metal Injection Molding (MIM) technology plays a pivotal enabling role in the manufacturing of communication equipment. It can form complex precision structures in one piece that are difficult to achieve through traditional processing methods, such as the internal cavities of 5G filters, antenna tuning components, and optical module housings. While ensuring excellent electromagnetic performance and signal integrity, it achieves extremely high material utilization and production consistency. This technology perfectly aligns with the core needs of the communication industry for high-performance, miniaturization, and large-scale reliable mass production of equipment, serving as an advanced manufacturing cornerstone supporting the upgrade of 5G and future communication technologies.

Available Materials:	Stainless Steel 304/316L/17-4PH Alloy Steel Titanium Alloy Special Alloy Materials
Post-processing Techniques:	Polishing, Turning, Milling, Grinding, EDM, CNC, etc.
Price:	Negotiable
Production Lead Time:	Subject to product complexity, typically 15–20 days

Fixed and movable mold bases, cores and cavities (mold inserts), slider and cam mechanisms, ejector pin and ejector plate systems, guide pins, guide bushings

Metal Injection Molding for Automotive

Die-casting molds are primarily applied in the high-pressure molding processes of metal materials such as aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, and zinc alloys. They are essential equipment for producing high-precision metal components in industries such as automotive, electronics, home appliances, communication, and aviation. The design and manufacturing precision of the parts directly determine the dimensional stability, surface finish, and mold life of the castings.

Available Materials:	Stainless Steel 304/316L/17-4PH Alloy Steel Titanium Alloy Special Alloy Materials
Post-processing Techniques:	Polishing, Turning, Milling, Grinding, EDM, CNC, etc.
Price:	Negotiable
Production Lead Time:	Subject to product complexity, typically 15–20 days

Mold sleeves, upper and lower punches, cavity mold cores, ejection mechanisms and demolding assemblies, limit rings and locating pins

Metal Injection Molding for Precision Tools

Powder metallurgy molds are key equipment centered around the pressing and forming of metal powders, used for the production of high-density, high-hardness, and complex-structured components. Their precision and wear resistance directly determine the dimensional stability and consistency of the finished products, serving as an important foundation in the field of precision manufacturing.

Available Materials:	Stainless Steel 304/316L/17-4PH Alloy Steel Titanium Alloy Special Alloy Materials
Post-processing Techniques:	Polishing, Turning, Milling, Grinding, EDM, CNC, etc.
Price:	Negotiable
Production Lead Time:	Subject to product complexity, typically 15–20 days

Punch, die, blank holder, ejection device, stripper plate and guiding components

Metal Injection Molding for Semiconductor Equipment

Stretching molds are a type of mold system used to form metal sheets into hollow or curved parts through mold forming. They are key equipment in sheet metal forming and metal manufacturing. Their precision and durability directly determine the surface quality, dimensional stability, and production efficiency of the products.

Available Materials:	Stainless Steel 304/316L/17-4PH Alloy Steel Titanium Alloy Special Alloy Materials
Post-processing Techniques:	Polishing, Turning, Milling, Grinding, EDM, CNC, etc.
Price:	Negotiable
Production Lead Time:	Subject to product complexity, typically 15–20 days

Data of Metal Injection Molding

Item	Parameter
Design accuracy of the whole mold set	±0.005 mm
Minimum thin-wall thickness achievable in injection molding	0.25 mm
Minimum injection molding tolerance achievable	±0.3%
Mold material selection	S136, DC53, 2344, ASP
Optional injection molding materials	304, 316L, 17-4ph, PANACEA, ultra-high strength steel, TC4 titanium alloy, 420W, F75
Mold life	300,000-500,000 times
Technical application	Industrial components, hardware fittings, smart wearables for consumer electronics, 3C electronics, automotive parts, etc.
Injection molding size	MAX 320mm, 450g
Gate design	Pin-point gate, hot runner, side gate, etc.
Type of designed mold	Cold/hot runner mold
Delivery time	Approximately 28 days, subject to negotiation

Our Comapny Profile

Yize Mould’s main business covers precision parts processing, injection mold design and manufacturing, cleanroom injection molding etc.

Steps for metal injection molding

Custom Metal Injection Molding (MIM) enables the one-step forming of complex metal parts through a series of processes including powder blending, injection molding, debinding, high-temperature sintering, and post-processing. This technology achieves high density and stable dimensional accuracy, with mechanical properties approaching those of forged components, while reducing machining steps. It effectively lowers overall costs while ensuring consistent quality, making it particularly suitable for the manufacturing of medium-to-large batch quantities of precision metal components with complex structures.

/01 Mold Design and Manufacturing

Mold design is one of the critical steps in the manufacturing of connector molds, encompassing various technical and process requirements from product design to mold fabrication. It ensures that MIM molds can efficiently, stably, and precisely produce connector products that meet customer demands.

/02 Powder Blending and Feedstock Preparation

In MIM (Metal Injection Molding), powder blending and feedstock preparation are critical foundational steps. The preparation of MIM feedstock with stable flowability and uniform dispersion ensures the density and consistency of the metal parts.

/03 Injection Molding

The prepared MIM feedstock (metal powder + binder) is heated to an appropriate temperature and injected into the precision mold cavity using an injection molding machine. After cooling, a "green part" with complete shape and strength is obtained.

/04 Debinding

Debinding is a critical transitional process in the MIM (Metal Injection Molding) process. Its function is to safely and uniformly remove the binder from the green part, creating stable conditions for subsequent sintering.

/05 Sintering

Sintering is a key shaping stage in the MIM (Metal Injection Molding) process. Through high-temperature heat treatment, metal particles undergo diffusion bonding, enabling the part to achieve its final dimensions, strength, and density.

/06 Post-Processing

After sintering, the product is evaluated to determine if post-processing treatments (such as polishing, surface treatment, heat treatment, machining, etc.) are required based on customer needs.

Yize Mould
Metal Injection Molding Solutions Provider

The MIM (Metal Injection Molding) material solutions achieve integrated manufacturing of complex, small-sized, and high-precision metal parts by combining various metal powders with injection molding processes. A diverse range of material systems, including stainless steel, low-alloy steel, titanium alloys, and tungsten-based materials, can meet requirements for strength, corrosion resistance, and functionality simultaneously. MIM finished products feature high density, excellent dimensional consistency, and performance close to that of forged parts, offering significant cost and quality advantages in medium to large-scale production. They are widely applied in the medical, electronics, automotive, and high-end equipment industries.

Metal Steels

Metal injection molding of high-nitrogen nickel-free stainless steel, high-polish 316L stainless steel, TC4 titanium alloy, ultra-high-strength steel, low-density steel, and other metals is particularly well-suited for manufacturing parts with stringent requirements for surface finish, hygiene standards, and structural precision.

Ceramics

Ceramic injection molding, leveraging the high hardness, wear resistance, and high insulation properties of ceramics, indeed combines the superior characteristics of ceramic materials with the design freedom of injection molding, offering significant advantages in manufacturing precision ceramic parts with complex shapes.

Other Hybrid Materials

713C/F57 high-temperature alloys typically possess excellent high-temperature strength, good oxidation resistance, and thermal corrosion resistance. The advantage of the MIM process lies in its ability to fabricate complex structural components while maintaining their inherent high performance.

A Trustworthy Metal Injection Molding Manufacturer

Dongguan Yize Mould Co., Ltd., established in 2007, currently employs over 100 people and is located in Chang’an Town, Dongguan City, the company offers integrated solutions encompassing MIM (Metal Injection Molding) moulds, MIM metal powder injection molding, cleanroom injection molding, and liquid silicone rubber injection molding.

Leveraging its advantages in independent precision mould development, Yize deeply integrates MIM mould design and manufacturing, metal powder injection molding, debinding, sintering, and post-processing. The company specializes in the large-scale production of complex-structured, small high-precision metal components. MIM parts can achieve a density of 96% to 99%, with mechanical properties approaching or even matching those of forged parts, while also offering high material utilization and minimal waste. Compared to traditional CNC machining or precision casting, Yize significantly reduces the comprehensive cost per unit in medium to large-scale production, balancing performance and cost-effectiveness.

Through continuous technological innovation and stable mass production capabilities, Yize Mould has gradually grown into a trusted manufacturer of MIM metal powder injection solutions, widely serving industries such as medical devices, electronic communications, automotive, and precision machinery.

Applications

Metal Injection Molding (MIM) is widely applied in industries such as medical devices, automotive parts, electronic communications, consumer electronics, and non-standard automation for industrial equipment, owing to its advantages of enabling one-step molding of complex structures with high precision and consistency. This technology meets the demands for high strength, corrosion resistance, and miniaturization while being suitable for medium to large-scale production, effectively reducing overall manufacturing costs. It serves as an important manufacturing solution for precision metal components

Why Choose Us?

/01
Integrated Mold + MIM Solution

Yize integrates MIM mould development, manufacturing, and injection molding, consider molding shrinkage, debinding, and sintering deformation.

/02
High-Yield Mass Production

With mature capabilities in process control, Yize achieves stable production of complex-structured metal components with minimal batch fluctuations and consistent performance.

/03
Comprehensive Quality System

Relying on a rigorous quality management and full-process traceability system, Yize ensures full-process control from raw materials to finished products.

Demonstration of Custom Metal Injection Molding Capabilities

MIM (Metal Injection Molding) technology for non-standard precision parts processing enables efficient and cost-effective manufacturing of complex metal components while ensuring consistent performance and quality stability. It is a crucial molding process for high-end precision parts. Combined with post-processing treatments (such as polishing, electroplating, PVD, machining, etc.), it is widely applied in industries including healthcare, automotive, electronic communications, consumer electronics, and industrial equipment.

Precision: Our non-standard precision parts are manufactured using high-precision processes, ensuring accurate dimensions and shapes to meet stringent technical requirements.
High-Quality Materials: We utilize high-grade metal powders and other durable metallic materials, ensuring excellent corrosion resistance and durability of the components.
Surface Treatment: The surfaces of the components undergo meticulous treatment, including polishing, PVD, electroplating, anodizing, etc., to extend their service life.
Diverse Designs: We provide mold components in various specifications and models based on customer drawings, meeting the needs of equipment and tools across different industries with high flexibility and adaptability.
Rust Prevention and Maintenance: All MIM metal powders possess rust-resistant properties, offering slight to complete rust prevention.
Wide Applications: Suitable for a variety of industries, such as automotive, daily tools, healthcare, consumer electronics, communications, etc., with a broad range of applications.

High Complexity and High Precision Integrated Molding

Metal Injection Molding combines the molding capabilities of plastic injection molding with the material properties of powder metallurgy, enabling the one-step formation of metal parts with complex structures, thin walls, miniature dimensions, or internal holes, thereby avoiding multiple machining processes. The finished products exhibit high dimensional accuracy (tolerances can reach ±0.3% to ±0.5%) and excellent consistency, making them particularly suitable for precision structural components and mass production.

Material Properties Close to Forged Parts

MIM parts can achieve a density of 96% to 99%, with mechanical properties approaching or even matching those of forged parts, while also offering high material utilization and minimal waste. Compared to traditional CNC machining or precision casting, MIM significantly reduces the overall cost per unit in medium to large-scale production, balancing performance with cost-effectiveness.

FAQs

What is MIM (Metal Injection Molding)?

MIM (Metal Injection Molding) is an advanced manufacturing technology that involves mixing metal powder with an organic binder, followed by injection molding, debinding, and high-temperature sintering processes to ultimately produce high-density metal parts. This process combines the complex forming capabilities of injection molding with the superior properties of metallic materials.

What types of products is MIM suitable for producing?

MIM is suitable for manufacturing metal parts with complex structures, small volumes, high precision, and mass production requirements. It is particularly well-suited for products featuring holes, thin walls, or irregular shapes, with individual part weights typically ranging from 0.1g to 100g.

What metal materials can be used in MIM?

Common MIM materials include stainless steel (316L, 17-4PH), low-alloy steels, tool steels, titanium alloys, copper alloys, and iron-based alloys. The choice of material depends on the product’s requirements for strength, corrosion resistance, or biocompatibility.

What is the process flow of MIM?

The MIM process involves the following steps: metal powder blending → injection molding → debinding → high-temperature sintering → post-processing (reshaping, polishing, heat treatment, etc.).

What are the precision and density characteristics of MIM products?

MIM parts can achieve a relative density of 96% to 99%, with dimensional tolerances generally controlled within ±0.3% to ±0.5%. For areas requiring higher precision, secondary finishing operations can further enhance accuracy.

What advantages does MIM have over CNC machining?

MIM is more suitable for complex structures and mass production, offering higher material utilization, forming efficiency, and overall cost-effectiveness. CNC machining, on the other hand, is better suited for small-batch or ultra-high-precision parts. Both methods can be flexibly combined based on project requirements.

Do MIM products experience dimensional shrinkage?

During the debinding and sintering processes, MIM parts undergo approximately 15% to 20% volumetric shrinkage. Through scientific mold compensation design and mature process control, stable and consistent dimensional accuracy can be achieved.