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Plastic Parts Design


Designing plastic parts is a little different from designing metal parts. There are many things that must be carefully considered and planned for. Plastic parts can be made in many ways: injection molding, thermoforming, extrusion, blow molding, even casting. For the sake of brevity, this article will focus on one type: injection molding. If you’ve ever built a plastic model kit, you’ve seen and know at least something about injection molding. It is a process where heated (molten) plastic is […]

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Defects in Die Casting Design


Die casting is a manufacturing process that involves production of geometrically complex parts using molten metal and reusable die casts. A simple and highly cost-effective process, die casting has been one of the most important reasons for the industrial revolution. In this manufacturing process, a die casting design is first created based on the size, shape and function of the final produced part. After the design is created, the non-ferrous metal perfect for the procedure will be chosen. The properties of the […]

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Following DFM Guidelines for Working with Sheet Metal


Engineers can turn out sheet-metal designs that are both highly functional and easy to make by following Design for Manufacturing (DFM) principles. Engineers designing sheet-metal enclosures and assemblies often end up redesigning them so they can be manufactured. In fact, research suggests that manufacturers spend 30% to 50% of their time fixing errors and almost 24% of those errors are related to manufacturability. The reason behind these preventable engineering errors is usually the wide gap between how sheet-metal parts are […]

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What is Metal Injection Molding?


What is Metal Injection Molding? Metal Injection Molding, also called MIM, is a low cost, high volume manufacturing process that produces custom metal parts near to net shape. It combines the way injection molded plastics are formed with powdered metal sintering to create metal or ceramic parts which are stronger, denser and more capable of complex geometric shapes than most forged or die cast metal parts. Metal Injection Molding, also called MIM, is a low cost, high volume manufacturing process […]

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Apple’s new MacBooks adopt metal injection molding (MIM) hinges


Apple is preparing to launch new ultra-thin MacBooks in the second half of 2016 that adopt metal injection molding (MIM) hinges. Industry sources are saying that the new MacBooks will adopt MIM hinges: To achieve an ultra-thin design, Apple’s new MacBooks adopt metal injection molding-made (MIM) hinges. Amphenol is also a hinge supplier of Microsoft for its Surface Pro because of its special designed hinge. While Desay and Sunwoda Electronics have submitted battery samples for testing they have yet to […]

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Leatherman multi-tool made using Metal Injection Molding


Leatherman has developed a multi-tool that can be worn on the wrist made with Metal Injection Molding (MIM) links. The Leatherman Tread bracelet is crafted of high strength, corrosion resistant 17-4PH stainless steel links that include two to three functional tools each. The bracelet is crafted to be fully customizable with slotted fasteners, so the user can rearrange links, add new ones, or adjust for wrist size.  Even the clasp is functional with a bottle opener and #2 square drive. […]

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The world’s thinnest metal fan for laptop utilizing Metal Injection Molding (MIM) process


The small size of laptop brings new challenges to heatsink. Surprisingly, engineers have built a complete set of cooling modules in such a thin and light YOGA 3 PRO laptop: the industry’s first integrally molded cooling fan utilizing Metal Injection Molding (MIM) process, which is also the thinnest metal fan in the world. The entire fan thickness is only 3.5mm, and the blade thickness is only 0.15mm, which is equivalent to the thickness of one razor blade. Compared with ordinary […]

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17-4 PH Stainless Steel


17-4 PH Stainless Steel (AISI 630)   17-4 PH is a precipitation hardening, martensitic stainless steel (17Cr-4Ni). It is noted for its high strength and hardness, excellent corrosion resistance and easy heat treatment. 17-4PH is usually machined to finished dimension in the solution heat treated and then strengthened by age hardening via the low temperature treatment process described below. 17-4 PH is magnetic in both the solution treated and age hardened conditions.   TYPICAL CHEMISTRY: C  0.07 max.   Mn  1.00 […]

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