Achieving Ultra-Thin Wall Thickness in MIM Technology
Views: 15 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-01-01 Origin: Site
In the field of Metal Injection Molding (MIM), minimum wall thickness is a key indicator frequently mentioned in design and manufacturing processes. It directly affects the feasibility of part production, performance, and manufacturing costs. For many industries that pursue precision and lightweighting, such as electronics (3C), medical devices, and aerospace, wall thickness design often needs to reach the limits of technology. So, how thin can the wall thickness be achieved with the MIM process?
MIM Process Capability for Minimum Wall Thickness
Under normal circumstances, the MIM process can achieve a minimum wall thickness ranging from 0.2mm to 0.4mm, which is far below the limit of traditional powder metallurgy processes. This capability is due to the combination of high fluidity from injection molding and high density from powder metallurgy in the MIM process. By selecting appropriate metal powder particle sizes, optimizing feedstock formulations, and controlling mold design and injection parameters, the limit of wall thickness can be further reduced.
Thin-Walled Products
Main Factors Affecting Minimum Wall Thickness
Metal Powder and Binder Ratio: High-quality metal powder and a uniform binder ratio are crucial. Fine particle powders help improve the density and strength of the finished product while ensuring fluidity, making them suitable for thin-walled molding.
Mold Design: The mold design directly determines the uniformity of wall thickness and dimensional accuracy. Rational gate design can avoid material flow dead zones and ensure filling in thin-walled areas.
Debinding and Sintering Processes: Thin-walled products have extremely high requirements for uniformity during debinding and sintering. Any uneven shrinkage can lead to deformation or reduced strength, thereby affecting the final performance.
Practical Applications of MIM Minimum Wall Thickness
Electronics (3C) Industry: MIM technology is used to produce ultra-thin components such as SIM card holders, connector housings, and earphone structural parts. These products typically require extremely thin walls to meet the demands of lightweighting and compact design.
Medical Devices: In the medical device field, the MIM process is applied to manufacture ultra-thin clamps and catheter components for minimally invasive surgical instruments, ensuring both strength and precision.
Challenges and Future Prospects
Although the MIM process can currently stably achieve a minimum wall thickness of around 0.2mm, further breakthroughs in more complex parts remain challenging. This requires higher-performance materials, more precise molds, and more advanced process control technologies. In the future, with technological progress and equipment upgrades, the MIM process will be able to meet more extreme wall thickness design requirements and bring more possibilities to various industries.
Mimo's Technical Advantages
Mimo has been deeply involved in the MIM metal injection molding field for many years. With advanced equipment and an experienced team, we have a significant advantage in the production of thin-walled parts. We can not only achieve a wall thickness as small as 0.2mm but also ensure the strength and precision of the products, meeting the high standards of customers for precision parts.
If you have customization needs for thin-walled parts, please feel free to contact Mimo. We will provide you with the best solutions with our professional service and technology!
MIMO's products do not only serve customers all over China, but it also provides MIM products for more than 40 countries and enterprises in the World, including the United States, the Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan and so on.