Origin and Development of MIM Technology

Metal Injection Molding (MIM) is a manufacturing process that originated from the powder injection molding of ceramic spark plugs in the 1920s. However, in the following decades, powder injection molding mainly focused on ceramic injection molding. It was not until 1979 that Parmatech, founded by Wiech and others, won two awards for their metal injection molding products. Subsequently, Wiech and Rivers obtained patents, marking the shift of powder injection molding towards metal injection molding.

However, the development and application of MIM faced several challenges in the past. These included the lack of suitable powder and high raw material costs, limited knowledge platform, immature technology, slow market acceptance, long production cycles (including mold manufacturing), and insufficient investment. As a result, the progress of MIM was relatively slow.

To address these difficulties and promote the practical application of MIM, the United States formulated an advanced powder engineering plan in the mid-1980s. This plan covered 18 research topics related to injection molding. Japan, Germany, and other countries also actively conducted research on MIM development.

In 1980, Wiech established Witec Company, which was later acquired by Brunswick Company in 1982. Brunswick registered subsidiaries such as Omark Industry, Remington Military Products, and Rocky Dental. In 1986, the Japanese company Nippon Seison introduced the Wiech process. Israel Metalor2000 also adopted Wiech technology from Parmatech and established a MIM production line in 1990.

With continuous research advancements, including the development of new binders and improvements in powder making and degreasing processes, MIM achieved industrialization in the early 1990s. After more than 20 years of hard work, MIM has become a rapidly developing and highly promising near-net shape technology in the international Powder Metallurgy field. It is now recognized as one of the most popular metal parts forming technologies worldwide.