<h1>Material Spotlight: Kovar</h1><p>One of the benefits of MIM is the amount of alloys that are available. MIM alloys can be blended to meet all of a customer’s specifications and needs. Kovar, commonly referred to as MIM-F15, is one of the many MIM materials that</p><p><strong>OptiMIM</strong>&nbsp;offers.</p><h3>Low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion</h3><p>Kovar, or F-15, is a low expansion iron MIM alloy that is most commonly used in electronics applications. Kovar has a high nickel and cobalt content and is traditionally an alloy that was used for metal-to-glass sealing because of its low coefficient of thermal expansion. It also provides a hermetic seal that is used to protect devices in many different industries.</p><h3>Aerospace Alloy of Choice</h3><p>Recently, Kovar has been selected as the alloy of choice for aerospace industry applications because of its properties. Kovar can withstand rapid temperatures – from absolute zero to extremely high heat – without changing or weakening in structure. As an example, Kovar is used in the aerospace industry in the small components on radar systems and satellites so that the change in temperature does not warp the metal or make the radar work improperly.</p>

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Discover the unique thermal expansion properties of Kovar alloy and why it's ideal for high-reliability electronic and aerospace applications.

Material Spotlight: Kovar | OptiMIM Article

Kovar, a low expansion iron alloy used in electronics and aerospace, is a metal injection molding (MIM) material that withstands extreme temperatures without structural change, making it ideal for applications like radar systems and satellites. 

Material Spotlight: Kovar

<h1>MIM Series Part 3: Compounding</h1><p>The&nbsp;previous blog post&nbsp;focused on the feedstock required to perform metal injection molding (MIM). This post will discuss the first step of the MIM process – compounding. In short, compounding is the process of taking the metal powder, plastic and paraffin binders and mixing these ingredients in a mixer. 1 This blended mix is then processed through a twin screw extruder. The paraffin binder is known as the primary binder and the plastics are the secondary binder. The mixer, as 1 alluded to in the feedstock post, blends these ingredients so the material has a uniformed density throughout the batch which is the first key step in process control.</p><p>To learn more about the MIM process, keep reading or&nbsp;contact our team of engineers.</p><h2>MIM Feedstock</h2><p>The metal powder is mixed with plastic and paraffin binders at a ratio of approximately 40% binder and 60% metal. This percentage can vary based on the powder size and desired tool shrinkage. MIM parts can shrink from their original molded condition (known as the green state) to a finished sintering condition by 16-21%. This ratio is known as powder loading. There are two common methods for mixing MIM materials: using a planetary mixer or a tubular mixer. These mixers blend the material, which can be done at room temperature or heated. When heated, the material is mixed to a temperature that causes the binders to melt. Mixing continues until the metal powder is uniformly coated with the binders. The mass is then cooled and pelletized. Both mixing processes are batch processes, ensuring the metal powder is uniformly coated with the binders. The resulting pelletized mix, known as feedstock, is then ready for the molding machine.</p><p>The planetary mixer uses a batch process and is slower. It produces inconsistent blends and introduces more variables than other available mixers. The tubular mixer, which is also a batch process, is the preferred method used by OptiMIM. It offers faster throughput and creates consistent blends with fewer variables.</p><h3>Compounding</h3><p>Compounding is handled in-house at OptiMIM. This approach offers several advantages. Custom blends can be created for customers with specific requirements or who need a particular metal for their part. Costs are also lower, as the materials needed are kept in-house, eliminating the need for a third party to mix metals and compound the material. Additionally, it is possible to match the shrinkage of different materials as well as existing tooling, resulting in a better and more consistent part for the customer.</p><p>Part Three of this series will focus on the molding aspect of the MIM process. For more information or inquiries about compounding,&nbsp;contact the team&nbsp;or sign up for updates.</p>

Learn how mixing metal powders with specialized binders creates the feedstock needed for precision injection molding in MIM manufacturing.

MIM Series Part 3: Compounding | OptiMIM Article

Compounding is the first step in the metal injection molding (MIM) process, where metal powder is mixed with binders and then processed to create a feedstock for molding. 

MIM Series Part 3: Compounding

<h1>Material Options - How Does MIM Compare?</h1><h2>Complexity demands precision</h2><p>When you think of the metal injection molding and powder metallurgy processes, a few key characteristics come to mind. These components are usually high in mechanical strength, highly dense, and perform well in corrosive environments. Because of the nature of the MIM process specifically, MIM components are exceptionally dense across the board.</p><p>But what sets the OptiMIM process apart from the rest? Far and away, our distinguishing factor is our custom feedstock and enhanced material performance. While many of our competitors import BASF feedstock to mold components, our OptiMIM metallurgists make specialized, made-to-order feedstock with compositions tailored to each project. Since we produce our own feedstock, we have full control of all the ingredients, the recipes, and especially the control of the variables so we can guarantee the precise composition and consistency of each component.</p><h2>Why does material composition matter?</h2><p>Made-to-order feedstock sounds great on paper. But how does the quality difference translate to part performance?</p><p>With MIM, custom feedstock and precise powder composition contribute to an enhanced grain structure and grain boundary condition. This adds up to reliable and repeatable capabilities, optimal part density, highest ultimate strength, and best elongation of all final MIM components.</p><p>Feedstock | Material Composition | Injection Molding</p><p>Since we manufacture our own feedstock, we have the freedom to specify the metal particle size distribution and develop the binder composition for each project. This makes OptiMIM’s process fully customizable to deliver the end mechanical performance and properties your application requires rather than having to settle for off-the-shelf properties of wrought metals.  Our technical experts are able to manipulate these elements to deliver on different performance requirements. This, partnered with our ability to optimize furnace recipes, ensures that OptiMIM parts are more structurally sound and consistent, perform more reliably, and are less prone to embrittlement (cracking) than parts produced with BASF feedstock. Since we can guarantee the structure and exact material composition of each part, we can guarantee industry-leading yield strength and other relevant mechanical properties.</p><h2>MIM Metals: A cut above the rest</h2><p>OptiMIM’s precise and uniquely engineered feedstock composition, along with our proprietary grain structure, allows us to deliver both high strength as well as the highest elongation (ductility) performance in the industry. With other processes, design engineers are often forced to decide between optimizing mechanical strength or optimizing elongation—with OptiMIM you can have both.</p><p>For example, with 17-4PH stainless steel, heat treated to H-900, the OptiMIM mechanical properties yield up to 19% better ultimate and yield strength and up to 125% higher elongation than the Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF Std 35) industry standards.</p><h2>What are my material options for metal injection molding?</h2><p>At OptiMIM, we specialize in various ferrous and non-ferrous alloys including several stainless steel grades, copper and copper alloys, and low alloy steel components which make up about 70% of our business. We also have experience processing specialty alloys like Cobalt-Chromium (F-75) and other high alloy materials. But that’s not all we do.</p><p>MIM materials can have their chemistries modified when utilized in the complex metal injection molding process. These materials are customizable and come in a wide variety, and they generally fall into four categories:</p><p>Ferrous alloys</p><p>Steels, stainless steels, tool steels, iron-nickel magnetic alloys, non-magnetic alloys and specialty alloys such as Invar and Kovar make up our ferrous alloy materials. Ferrous alloys are characteristically strong because they have an iron-based composition, and are often used in medical and automotive applications.</p><p>Tungsten alloys</p><p>Our tungsten alloys are characteristically high in tensile strength and are naturally resistant to corrosion. We often work with a tungsten-copper alloy for parts that require a material that is heat-resistant, ablation-resistant, and is highly thermally and electrically conductive.</p><p>Cemented carbide alloys</p><p>The MIM process is compatible with hard materials such as cemented carbides and cermets. These materials consist of hard and wear resistant carbide and a tough and ductile metal binder, thus delivering a unique combination of hardness and toughness.</p><p>Special material alloys</p><p>Specialty materials that we see a lot in the MIM process include, but are not limited to, precious metals, titanium alloys, cobalt-chromium, nickel, nickel-base super alloys, molybdenum, molybdenum-copper, and particulate composites.</p><p><strong>Learn more about available material options and applications for metal injection molding. Download the free webinar!</strong></p>

Compare MIM material choices against traditional manufacturing methods to understand trade-offs in strength, durability, and design flexibility.

Material Options - How Does MIM Compare? | OptiMIM Article

OptiMIM's unique, customizable feedstock allows for greater control over material properties in metal injection molding, resulting in components with superior strength, ductility, and consistency compared to those made with standard feedstocks. 

Material Options - How Does MIM Compare?

<h1>MIM Series Part 1</h1><p>Let's explore MIM. MIM offers a unique combination of metal strength and durability with the design flexibility of injection molding. At OptiMIM, two different types of MIM 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><p><strong>For more information on the  MIM process, contact our engineering team  today!</strong><br /></p><h2>MIM Process</h2><p>The MIM process involves four steps: compounding, molding, 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 utilizes 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 pelletized.</p><h3>Molding</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>

Start your journey into MIM with an overview of powder metallurgy basics, material selection, and the critical phases of the MIM process flow.

Metal Injection Molding Overview Series | OptiMIM Article

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

Material Spotlight: Kovar

Material Spotlight: Kovar

Low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion

Aerospace Alloy of Choice

Interested in starting your MIM journey?