Engineering

Sintering supports are essential during the debinding and high-temperature sintering processes, as they prevent distortion of moulded parts—also known as green parts.

Draft refers to the slight taper incorporated into the design of moulded parts. MIM components are often designed with minimal or no draft.

Fillets and radii enhance the manufacturing process by allowing smoother transitions at corners and edges to improve part strength.

Ribs and webs are structural features used to enhance part strength while minimising dimensional variations due to shrinkage during debinding and sintering.

Gating refers to the design and placement of the entry points where material flows into the mould during metal injection moulding, and its location is crucial for balancing manufacturability, part function and aesthetics.

Addressing sink marks and knit lines ensures even material distribution and minimises aesthetic defects, enhancing part quality and performance while also addressing potential weak points.

An optimal wall thickness of 0.040” to 0.120” balances material efficiency and production costs while ensuring adequate part strength.

Flash and witness lines arise from the interface between two mould components and can affect both the aesthetics and functionality of a part.

Interchangeable mould inserts minimise tooling fabrication costs and allow design flexibility for low- to medium-volume applications, despite potential witness marks from metal-to-metal seal-off areas.

Dimensional tolerances refer to the acceptable variations in part dimensions, typically achievable to ±0.3% of nominal size, though exact tolerances can vary based on factors such as design, material and inspection techniques.