MIM Manufacturing Advantages of 17-4PH Stainless Steel in Home Appliances and Smart Devices
In the small home appliance sector, 17-4PH stainless steel is widely used in components such as high-pressure solenoid valve housings for coffee machines, shaving head racks, transmission gears for electric toothbrushes, connecting shafts for garment steamers, and sealing latches for rice cookers. These products often demand components with a combination of precise structure, aesthetic surface, and controlled cost. 17-4PH naturally exhibits a metallic luster and, when processed through Metal Injection Molding (MIM), achieves a high surface density (>97.5%), making it suitable for PVD coating, electroplating, and polishing to meet premium design requirements. Its excellent resistance to humidity and heat also makes it ideal for long-term use in kitchens, bathrooms, and other high-humidity, high-temperature environments—greatly enhancing practicality and user experience. Particularly with the rapid growth of smart home and IoT devices, 17-4PH has proven advantageous in various micro-precision mechanical parts. It is commonly used in components such as drive linkages, sensor alignment clips, gear shafts, and metal buttons found in robotic vacuum cleaners, smart door locks, smart curtain motors, and automatic fragrance dispensers. These components typically require high dimensional accuracy (±0.02–0.05 mm), miniaturization (individual parts weighing less than 10g), and strong, stable performance. The MIM process not only supports high-precision, batch production of such microstructures but also allows for greater design flexibility—helping to improve overall product performance, reliability, and user experience in smart devices.
