Since its first demonstration in the 1930s, metal injection moulding (MIM) has become an important metal processing technique. In the MIM process, small metal moulds are formed from a metal powder and fused together. In this way, highly complex shapes can be produced with almost no waste, reducing costs and waste. The final components are almost 100% dense, have higher strength than die casting, better tolerances than investment casting or sand casting, and greater mould complexity than conventional machining techniques.
MIM has been a common production technique since the 1970s, used for braces, watch cases and firearms. Today, however, MIM technology enables the manufacture of complex components for high-performance applications, such as dental implants, artificial joints, pacemakers and jet engines.
In this guide, Dr Maryam Beig Mohamadi, Application Scientist - OES, and Michael Molderings, Product Manager - OES, explain why optical emission spectroscopy is ideal for quality control of MIM processes.