AUTOMOTIVE 

Fuel Injection Component
  • The extremely small part difficult to be developed through the conventional process, Difficult to meet the tight tolerance on its outside diameter and the perpendicularity of the three legs, required many secondary operations.
  • Difficult to machine.
  • The entire component was produced through MIM technology with no additional machining operation. Part-specific forms were used during sintering to maintain part quality.
  • This part is for a valve poppet used in the fuel-injection system of a diesel engine for heavy trucks.
Diesel Engine
  • Difficult to produce tapered holes from opposite ends that are uniformly inclined at their meeting point.
  • High lead time and low repeatability, Burr folding at sharp corners.
  • The metal injection molded part is formed close to net shape, requiring only bright annealing to remove surface oxidation and enhance brazing. The previously machined part was redesigned for MIM in order to overcome the difficulty of producing tapered holes from opposite ends that are free of burrs at their meeting point. The two perfectly aligned holes are achieved using two slides. MIM stainless steel fuel-inlet orifice used in diesel engines.
Collapsible Roof part
  • Complex Profile, difficult to manufacture through material Removal process.
  • Full designed for the MIM
  • Less Lead time
  • Better tolerance control
Fuel Pump
  • Material: MIM 4605  (Medium Carbon Steel)
  • Weight: 9 gm
  • Segment: Automotive
  • Density: 7.89 g/cc
  • Hardness: 100 to 250 HB
  • UTS: 320 MPa
  • 6 separate machining operations for every part
  • Problem faced in repeatability and burr formation
  • High machining cost
  • Entire profile is manufactured through MIM
  • Large batch production with auto rewinding mechanism for thread in tool
  • Integration
Shock Observer
  • Material: MIM 4605  (Medium Carbon Steel)
  • Weight: 12gm
  • Segment: Automotive
  • Density: 7.89 g/cc
  • Hardness: 35 to 40 HRC
  • UTS: 1200 MPa
  • Complicated profile with 18 holes of dia. 3.75 mm and 6 thin ribs of 1.5 mm
  • Challenging to fill sections completely in the molding stage
  • Component manufactured close to net shape, with surface grinding to achieve flatness (10µm) and facing operation to achieve height tolerance
Valves
  • Material: SS 17-4PH and MIM 4605
  • Weight: 26gm to 32gm
  • Segment: Automotive
  • Density:7.75 g/cc
  • Hardness: 36 -40 HRC
  • UTS:1200 Mpa
  • Multiple manufacturing operations
  • Joining operations for assembly
  • Integrated parts without joining operations
  • Compact parts with reduction in weight
GEAR ASSEMBLY
  • Gear and pin machined separately and welded to make a single component.
  • Welding area prone to fracture due to Torque
  • Component molded as a single assembly eliminating the joining operation and improving strength

CONSUMER

Sport Equipment
  • Complex profile with features like curved profile , undercut and inclined geometry is difficult for conventional machining
  • Near-net shape achieved in the tool itself with all the complex profile features, eliminating all the secondary machining operations
Sanitary metal Parts
  • High lead time, low repeatability & difficult to produce component in high volumes
  • Fragile features and thin walls difficult to develop through conventional process
  • Burr folding at sharp corners
  • The entire component was produced through MIM with no additional machining operation
  • Three complex parts are fabricated close to the net shape and special ceramic setters are employed for enhanced shape retention during sintering
Door Hinge
  • The parts were cast and required considerable machining to achieve the desired dimensions. Difficult to achieve holes and slots by conventional methods
  • High lead time and low repeatability, weld burr folding at sharp corners
  • Designed and molded two parts (keeper and a ramp ) for a MIM-17-4 PH. A keeper and a ramp used in a door-hinge assembly.
    The keeper has a thick but slotted, curved profile that extends 79 mm (~3 inch). By using three slides, in that two to form the hole running along the length, and another to form the slot at the center, two parts are produced per shot with no additional machining operation.
Gas Sensor
  • Material: MIM 316
  • Weight: 3-5 gm
  • Segment: Consumer
  • Density: 7.65 g/cc
  • Hardness:100 HRB
  • UTS: 732 Mpa

Earlier manufacturing process – Powder Metallurgy

    • Mirror finishing in PM is difficult to achieve due to coarse size of metal powder.
    • Cost and lead time of Buffing process is more in Powder Metallurgy.
  • Due to fine size of metal powder mirror finishing is easily achieved in MIM process.
  • Cost and lead time of buffing in MIM is less as compared to PM.

MEDICAL

Surgical Camera
  • Complex in geometry (Y-section), two separate pieces that were subsequently welded.
  • High lead time and low repeatability, weld burr folding at sharp corners.
  • Designed and molded for a MIM-17-4 PH main part used in a digital surgical camera. Previously, the part was made as two separate pieces that were subsequently welded. To meet the complex geometry in molding, INDO-MIM developed a slide mechanism robust enough to form the y-section with ease and with precise matching to avoid flash.
Surgical Stapler
  • Material :- MIM 17-4PH
  • Weight :- 1.1gm
  • Segment :- Medical
  • Density: 7.75 g/cc
  • Hardness: 35-42 HRC
  • UTS: 1220 Mpa
  • Difficult to consistently maintain low corner wall thickness
  • High strength requirement
  • Customized staging ceramic fixture used to avoid distortion
  • High strength achieved through modified material
Hearing aid
  • 0.3mm wall thickness for the length of 11.4mm is challenging through conventional process
  • High volume component
  • Near net shape and complex features achieved through MIM
  • High volume easily achievable
Hearing Aid 1
  • Existing plastic part not ideal for sound transfer
  • Manufacturing limitations to achieve design in metal
  • Tooling mechanism designed to form curved hole in mold
  • All dimensions achieved without machining