Metal Injection Molding

Written by Jill Morrison
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Metal injection molding provides companies with complex metal shapes that can be used as parts. Metal is a beneficial material for parts because it has heavy-duty strength, high temperature strength, thermal conductivity, great magnetic permeability, and corrosion resistance. Because metal has so many benefits, it can be very expensive. Rubber or plastic materials may be used instead to minimize costs for injection molding.

Metal injection molding is used to create high quality parts for specialized fields. Small metal parts are commonly used in technology, medical, and telecommunications fields. Metal is a more durable and reliable material to use for specialized parts. Commonly made parts include surgical instruments, implants, hinges, connectors, tools, electronic packaging, and automatic sensors.

The Process of Metal Injection Molding

Metal injection molding is different from the process of plastic or rubber injection molding. With plastic and rubber, materials are first melted into a liquid, injected into a mold, and are left to cool into a hardened shape. Metal injection molding uses heat to harden parts instead of cooling. First, metal powder and binder are combined and inserted into a mold. Then, they are heated to extreme temperatures, which allows for the powder to shrink, minimize pores, and eventually harden completely.

Many different metal materials can be used for injection molding. Popular options include stainless steel, copper, nickel iron, and tungsten. A new process of using aluminum for injection molding has recently emerged. The process is patented and trademarked as aluMIM by Advanced Material Technologies (AMT). Aluminum is a desirable material because it is more lightweight and provides better thermal conductivity than other metal materials.

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