Leatherman has developed a multi-tool that can be worn on the wrist made with Metal Injection Molding (MIM) links.
Leatherman has developed a multi-tool that can be worn on the wrist made with Metal Injection Molding (MIM) links.
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.
3D printing is an additive manufacturing process that works best for functional prototypes, complex designs, reducing multipart assemblies, and end-use applications. 3D printing technology is rapidly changing how manufacturers are creating concept models and end-use parts. One of the fastest growing applications is utilizing 3D printing technology for the tooling of complex and low volume composite parts. Boeing and other companies in the aerospace and automotive industries are finding that using composite materials instead of metal, greatly reduces the weight and cost of their part which, over time, has saved thousands of dollars. So how are these models produced? There are two primary ways 3D printing is making this possible.
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 metal will be taken into serious consideration as it will affect the design and construction of the finished die casting parts.
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.
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 designed in CAD systems and how they are actually fabricated on the shop floor. Many engineers developing 3D models for sheet-metal products are unaware of the fabrication tools used to form the part or product, and instead design models for an “ideal” world.
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 designed in CAD systems and how they are actually fabricated on the shop floor. Many engineers developing 3D models for sheet-metal products are unaware of the fabrication tools used to form the part or product, and instead design models for an “ideal” world.
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 designed in CAD systems and how they are actually fabricated on the shop floor. Many engineers developing 3D models for sheet-metal products are unaware of the fabrication tools used to form the part or product, and instead design models for an “ideal” world.
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 designed in CAD systems and how they are actually fabricated on the shop floor. Many engineers developing 3D models for sheet-metal products are unaware of the fabrication tools used to form the part or product, and instead design models for an “ideal” world.
Representing one of the advanced metal processing techniques, MIM (Metal Injection Molding) was created by fusing traditional plastic injection molding technology with powder metallurgy. Injection molding using metal dies makes it easy to manufacture otherwise hard to machine parts, including micro, precision, intricately shaped, and 3D parts. MIM is also superbly suited for mass production, as demonstrated by our ability to manufacture at rates ranging from 5,000 to 1 million pieces per month. MIM works best for parts that weigh around 0.1 g to 50 g, but it can also mass-produce parts weighing up to approximately 100 g.