Metal injection molding (MIM) is experiencing a worldwide boom, with an estimated market worldwide of more than $1 billion per year, and compound annual growth rates estimated to be as high as 20 percent. This booming demand for MIM is primarily attributed to the technology's significant cost savings compared to the use of machining or electrical discharge machining. Growth drivers, especially those resulting from medical and firearms industry trends, means that strong MIM technical players are in a good position to bring significant value to customers.
MIM technology is used to form a near net-shape metal part by consolidating metal powder in a special sintering process. The lack of raw material waste, as well as reduced cycle times, can reduce costs by more than 50 percent. While the technology suffered from a shaky technology de-bugging period between its launch in 1970s and the new millennium, several players have now advanced MIM technology to the point that it is currently seen as a strong and reliable solution for overcoming several important economic challenges.
The explosive growth rates have been escalating as the technology receives increasing acceptance for high volume-manufacturing of tightly toleranced small metal components. The American MIM market is estimated at $250 million, with 40 manufacturers in contract manufacturing and more than 10 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) running captive operations. European demand is approximately $350 million, while the market in Asia, with China leading the growth, is approximately $550 million.
Firearms and medical segments see MIM as attractive option
Firearms and medical applications are the two main segments of MIM demand. Firearms OEMs made the transition to broad sourcing in MIM more than a decade ago, and continue to have growing interest in containing costs and expanding production. Despite (some say because of), the recent economic downturn, the US firearms industry has grown, and background checks for gun sales reached a record high in 2011. Domestic MIM players have a significant advantage over international players in firearms due to ITAR regulations, and those with an ability to respond to the recent ramp up in firearms demand have made significant strides in organic growth.
For example, Parmatech Corp.'s unique MIM capabilities give manufacturers the ability to make weapons from a range of materials using the same tooling, a feature not possible with casting or forging. Parmatech offers a MIM process that can use 4140 and MIM-4605 carbon steel, and 17-4 and 420 stainless steel, all with the same tooling.
By using this MIM process, firearms manufacturers can form several separate parts into one, consolidating a weapon's mechanical components and reducing the component count. This significantly reduces development time and effort and improves supplier tracking. Producing multiple component parts that operate smoothly together is key to the modern firearms manufacturer. As modern weapon manufacturers design sophisticated firearms with numerous interlocking moving parts, they are turning to MIM to produce high volumes of components that can be assembled together without the need for costly machining and gunsmithing.
Probably ceramic injection molding quickly took over the limited realm of ceramic parts, and after all of those applications adopted it there was nobody else that needed it. After all, meta/ceramic parts are not used in that many places and it may take quite a while to discover additional applications.
The fact is that the ceramic/metal parts are not cheap, and if they don't offer a real benefit, why pay more.
Besides that, there are only so many foks who really need a ceramic pocket knife that metal detectors don't see.
@William K.: MIM is considered to be a P/M process. Powder metallurgy encompasses everything from traditional press-and-sinter (the P/M that most people know, since it's been around the longest) to more advanced processes such as powder forging and MIM.
Powder injection molding (PIM) includes both metal injection molding and ceramic injection molding. An interesting thing in the graph is that ceramic injection molding seems to have really taken off around 2000 (looking at the space between the blue and red curves), but since then, has not grown as fast as MIM. It would be interesting to know why that is.
I also think it's interesting that the graph stops right before the global financial crisis. (Obviously, a graph that points up looks better than a graph that points down, if the title of your article is "Growing Future for Metal Injection Molding"!)
I think the article is absolutely right that MIM is well-suited for small, high-volume parts. For larger parts, investment casting will probably continue to be a better choice, and for low-volume parts, I think naperlou is right that 3D printing technologies such as SLS will play a growing role. Part of the "technology de-bugging period" referred to in the article involved design engineers learning where MIM is, and isn't, the best choice.
I see two different processes mentioned here, one being metal injection molding, th other being pwdered metal molding and sintering. Both processes are capable of producing a real cost reduction in some instances, both are capable of dramatic reductions in assembly effort. but they are quite a bit different. Yet the change in subject did not seem to realize the big difference between the two processes. So it would be worthwhile to clarify which one is being touted at each part of the writeup.
Can this simply be an indication of increased population and "westernization" lead to an increased demand for products?
A global "keeping up with the joneses." If I lived in a society of limitations or old-world living, I would crave everything the most modern have. I'm sure the almost 3 Billion people in China and India alone feel the same way.
Tracy, as I understood it from the sources in my upcoming December feature article on IM, MIM has been especially successful in the automotive sector. What are other sectors where MIM is already well established?
Tracy, the reputation of MIM in the firearms industry is not great. Of course, the stresses experienced there are much higher than in most applications. Improvements in the processes that you mention should, over time, change people's minds.
I do wonder if MIMs parts will have competition from 3D printing, which is often mentioned in this magazine. MIMs is, of course, much faster.
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