In North America, there are less than 100 companies that use a metal injection molding (MIM) furnace, compared to the thousands making metal parts. Why aren’t more manufacturers using MIM? There are 2 main reasons.
First, manufacturers today have a wide variety of methods to choose from to produce their parts. For metal parts, investment casting, press and sinter, machining, forging, and stamping are all established methods of production. Companies with these capabilities already know how to use the technology. They already have supply chains set up. Their position is comfortable.
Comfort is nice, but it’s not going to improve the bottom line in the long run. Why? Well, because MIM technology may outpace all of these methods.
Research proves that MIM has potentials these other methods can only dream of. MIM is highly automated, even for complex parts. MIM can reuse scraps of raw materials. By conserving time, labor and material, MIM saves money while delivering a superior product.
As a result, demand for MIM parts is growing rapidly.
Second, people aren’t using MIM because of the initial expense. Yes, there are capital costs- but an NPV analysis, even with conservative industry numbers, proves the return is worth the investment. Empiric studies concur- companies who have added MIM to their capabilities are growing their profits despite hard economic times. We think MIM is the key for American manufacturing firms to sustain a long term competitive advantage. As the old adage notes, it takes money to make money- and we believe there is a huge opportunity to do exactly that.
You don’t have to take our word for it. Independent research indicates that the time is ripe to invest in this growing technology, and is easily found online.
If you have any questions, or are interested in learning more, feel free to contact us. Elnik Systems manufactures the best MIM equipment in the world, and would be happy to provide a quote for your MIM furnace. Elnik’s affiliate, DSH Technologies, provides consulting for those getting started in MIM.