Smith Metal Products has added a CNC lathe to its in-house machining capabilities, expanding its advanced secondary processing capabilities for metal injection molding (MIM) applications.
"We call our process a MIM Hybrid Solution, where we take MIM net shaped parts beyond the common achievable MIM molding tolerances," said Jim Beyer, Account Manager. "We have seen a big increase in interest for MIM parts requiring fine tolerances that are beyond MIM molding capabilities. Secondary post-process machining is often needed to produce these very precise round holes, threaded holes and smooth, flat surfaces for interfacing with other parts."
"MIM is often an effective process for producing precision parts because MIM parts are precise, net-shaped and produced faster-usually with no secondary operations required," said a company spokesperson. "If higher tolerances need to be held and cannot be MIM molded, Smith's MIM Hybrid Solution is utilized-and is still more competitive than complete CNC machining of the parts."
Smith Metal Products produces MIM parts for a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, firearms, medical, dental, recreation and appliance. Materials available for MIM include stainless steel, steel, titanium and most ferrous materials.
Parts that are suitable for MIM processing include those that have annual volumes of 25,000 pieces or more for a single component, or three or more parts that have annual usage of 10,000 or more and a finished part weight of less than 100 g (3.5 oz). All dimensions of the component should be 3" or less, and the maximum wall thickness should be 3 mm (0.125") or less, or can be cored out to have thinner wall sections. MIM parts must be ferrous metals.
Smith Metal's machining capabilities include CNC 5-axis machining, CNC turning, coining and laser etching/engraving. Smith also has established external sources for polishing, lapping, grinding and EDM wire cutting.
For more information contact:
Smith Metal Products
15045 Per Road
Center City, MN 55012
651-257-3143
sales@smithmetals.com
www.smithmetals.com