A dynamic $1.5 billion-plus global industry 

Over the following pages you can find information on MIM markets, the history of the technology, how the process works, what materials can be processed, and a selection of case studies from around the world.  

Fig. 1 Regional concentration of MIM applications.
Data for Europe and North America relates to
2010, Asia 2008. As presented by Keith Murray,
Sandvik Osprey Ltd, at the EuroMIM Open
Meeting, October 10, 2010 and published in
PIM International, Vol.4 No.4, December 2010 

Whilst this is focused on MIM, much of the information can also be related to CIM.

Powder Injection Moulding (PIM), which encompasses Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) and Ceramic Injection Moulding (CIM) is a major manufacturing technology with estimated sales of more than $1.5 billion.

MIM parts production accounts for around 90% of the market for PIM products, which is seeing annual growth of between 10-20% worldwide.

PIM is a truly global business, with more than 450 parts producers located worldwide. According to recent data, Asia is the world’s largest PIM producing region by sales, followed by Europe and North America.

Applications for MIM

Many objects we encounter in everyday life such as cars, mobile phones, watches, domestic appliances, cameras and power tools contain MIM parts.

So many MIM applications have been published to-date that it is impossible to give a comprehensive overview, but a number of application examples are provided later in this section that demonstrate the strengths and potential of this technology.

Regional market variations

The differences in MIM markets by world region is quite distinct with, in general terms, Asia dominated by IT and electronics, North America by medical, orthodontic and firearms applications, and Europe by automotive and consumer products.

- See more at: http://www.pim-international.com/what_is_metal_injection_moulding/introduction_to_metal_injection_molding_MIM_PIM#sthash.FJPHevQH.dpuf