<p>Advancing global industries with metal injection moulding technology that transforms complex concepts into reality</p>

OptiMIM company overview and metal injection molding process

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<p>Metal injection moulding offers a unique combination of metal strength and durability with the design flexibility of injection moulding. At OptiMIM, two different types of <a href="/metal-injection-molding" target="_self">metal injection moulding</a> are available – standard and Multi-Slide. Both offer similar advantages, such as creating complex geometries, combining multiple parts, enhancing features, dramatically reducing cycle times, and obtaining greater precision and consistency. More details about each type will be shared in a future blog post. For now, let’s discuss the steps in the MIM process.</p><h2>Metal injection moulding process</h2><p>The <a href="/metal-injection-molding/process" target="_self">metal injection moulding process</a> involves four steps: compounding, moulding, debinding and sintering. These four steps, along with feedstock, will be the focus of the next five parts of this blog series. Here is a brief overview of each process.</p><h3>Feedstock/compounding</h3><p>MIM utilises metal powders combined with a plastic and wax binder, known as feedstock, as the foundation for creating parts. By mixing feedstock in-house, a wide range of metals can be offered, including NiFe, 316SS, 420SS, 17-4SS, titanium and copper. Pre-alloyed metal powders are also available. Once mixed, the feedstock is processed through a twin-screw extruder and pelletised.</p><h3>Moulding</h3><p>The pellets are loaded into either a standard MIM machine or a proprietary Multi-Slide MIM machine. At this point, the component is called a “green part”. The final part will have the same geometry as the green part but will be about 20% smaller. </p><h3>Debinding</h3><p>In this step, some of the binder from the feedstock is removed. Heat, chemicals or a combination of both are used to remove the binders and prepare the part for sintering. Once the binder is removed, the part is referred to as a “brown part”.</p><h3>Sintering</h3><p>The brown part is placed into a continuous or batch vacuum furnace and subjected to temperatures near the material’s melting point. This removes the remaining binder and densifies the part, resulting in the 20% shrinkage mentioned earlier. Sintering takes approximately 15-20 hours.</p><p>Part two of this series will focus exclusively on the feedstock aspect of the&nbsp;MIM process. To answer any questions or for further discussion,&nbsp;contact our engineering team today!</p><p><strong>Other articles in the series:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="/resources/article/mim-series-part-1"></a><a href="/resources/article/mim-series-part-2-feedstock">MIM series part 2 – Feedstock</a></li><li><a href="/resources/article/mim-series-part-3-compounding">MIM series part 3 – Compounding</a></li><li><a href="/resources/article/mim-series-part-4-molding">MIM series part 4 – Moulding</a></li><li><a href="/resources/article/mim-series-part-5-debinding">MIM series part 5 - Debinding</a></li><li><a href="/resources/article/mim-process-series-part-6-sintering" target="_self">MIM series part 6 - Sintering</a></li></ul>

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Begin your MIM project with an overview of powder metallurgy fundamentals, material selection and the critical stages of the MIM manufacturing process flow.

Metal injection moulding overview series | OptiMIM article

Metal injection moulding (MIM) combines the strength of metal with the flexibility of injection moulding to create complex parts through a four-step process: compounding, moulding, debinding and sintering. 

MIM series part 1

<p>Sustainability in manufacturing is no longer optional. Today’s industry leaders require production methods that drastically reduce environmental impact without sacrificing component quality, operational efficiency or cost competitiveness.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Our latest white paper explores how OptiMIM embeds sustainability directly into the metal injection moulding (MIM) lifecycle through breakthrough process design, material recovery and precise production control. Discover how responsible manufacturing and operational excellence successfully coexist.</p><p>What you’ll learn</p><ul><li>Eliminating hazardous solvents: How our proprietary thermal dewaxing method completely replaces traditional chemical solvents, lowering workplace safety risks and reducing part defect rates from 10% to near zero</li><li>The circular economy in action: Discover how we achieve 99.99% purity in recovered paraffin wax and convert plastic binder by-products into reusable maritime bunker fuel</li><li>In-house feedstock optimisation: Why formulating half of our materials internally gives us the control needed to minimise waste and maximise process efficiency</li><li>Advanced process control: How tight thermal and gas flow management eliminates production variability, defects and energy inefficiencies—resulting in a manufacturing footprint without smokestacks</li></ul>

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Download our white paper to see how OptiMIM reduces waste, eliminates hazardous solvents, and improves efficiency through advanced metal injection moulding.

Sustainable MIM white paper | OptiMIM

Sustainable manufacturing through advanced metal injection moulding

<h2>Is Metal Injection Moulding Right for Your Project?</h2><p>With numerous metalworking solutions available, engineers often ask, "What is MIM and when is it the right choice?"</p><p>Metal injection moulding combines the technologies of thermoplastic injection moulding and powder metallurgy to produce complex-shaped, high-density, high-performance metal parts. But when does MIM deliver the greatest return on investment compared with other processes?  </p><p>Sign up for the on-demand webinar, What’s a Good Fit for MIM, to discover the characteristics that make a component a good candidate for the MIM process.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>The webinar covers:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="/additional-capabilities/engineering" target="_self">MIM design capabilities</a> and part criteria</li><li>Getting the most value from the <a href="/metal-injection-molding/process" target="_self">MIM process</a></li><li>Where <a href="/metal-injection-molding/benefits" target="_self">MIM saves costs</a></li><li>And more!</li></ul><p><strong>Fill in the form to access the webinar on demand.</strong></p>

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Understand which component geometries, materials and tolerances make a project ideal for precision metal injection moulding with OptiMIM expertise today

What’s a Good Fit for MIM? | OptiMIM Webinar

This on-demand webinar explores when to choose Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) over other metalworking solutions, covering MIM’s design capabilities, cost-saving potential and optimal applications. 

Moulded withprecision

Next generation of
metal injection moulding

Leverage MIM in
any industry

Maximise performance with custom alloys

Low alloy steels

Special and custom materials

Stainless steels

Global reach,custom solutions

Beyond the basics

Metal injection moulding resources

Article

White Paper

Webinar

Interested in starting a MIM project?

Moulded withprecision

Next generation ofmetal injection moulding

Leverage MIM inany industry

Maximise performance with custom alloys

Low alloy steels

Special and custom materials

Stainless steels

Global reach,custom solutions

Beyond the basics

Metal injection moulding resources

Article

White Paper

Webinar

Interested in starting a MIM project?

Next generation of
metal injection moulding

Leverage MIM in
any industry