Sintered metal parts, small and complex, at volume.

Fine metal powder molded like plastic, then sintered into a dense metal part — the route to small, intricate stainless and steel components in the thousands, with almost no machining.

Get my sintering / MIM quote →See metals & tooling ↓

Quick definition

Metal Injection Molding (MIM) blends fine metal powder with a binder, injection-molds it like plastic, then removes the binder and sinters the part at high temperature until it densifies into solid metal. With press-and-sinter powder metallurgy alongside it, it is the process for small, complex metal parts at volume — net shape, so almost nothing is machined.

Powder to solid metalSmall, intricate, net shape
Stainless316L · 17-4PHCorrosion · strength
SteelsLow-alloyStructural
MIM / PMMould · pressTwo routes
Sintered near net shape — minimal machining.
MIM + PMmetal injection molding and press-and-sinter, matched to the part
< ~100 gthe sweet spot — small, intricate parts that mould well
Net shapecomplex geometry straight from the tool, barely machined
High volumethousands to millions, at a low cost per part

Net shape, not roughed out

The complexity is in the tool, not the machining.

Machining a small, intricate metal part from solid means slow cycle times, wasted stock and fragile features. MIM molds that complexity in one shot and sinters it solid, so geometry that would take hours to machine comes off the tool net shape. OperGo matches the part to MIM or press-and-sinter, runs it, and machines only the few features that truly need it.

Machined from solid
  • Every intricate feature cut slowly from bar stock
  • Material wasted as chips on a small, complex part
  • Thin features and undercuts that machining struggles with
  • A per-part price that never drops with volume
The OperGo way
  • Complex geometry moulded in one shot, then sintered solid
  • Powder used near net shape — little waste
  • Undercuts, thin walls and fine detail formed by the tool
  • Cost per part that falls as the run grows

What we run

Two powder routes, matched to the part.

Metal Injection Molding

Small, complex stainless and steel parts moulded like plastic and sintered dense — the route to intricate geometry at volume.

Press & sinter (PM)

Powder pressed and sintered for simpler, symmetric parts — bushings, gears and structural components at low cost.

Stainless & tool steels

316L for corrosion resistance and 17-4PH for strength and hardness, plus low-alloy steels for structural parts.

Sizing & secondary ops

Coining, sizing, heat-treat and light machining after sintering, where a feature needs a tolerance the process alone won't hold.

The spec sheet

Metals, densities and tooling.

Metals & tooling · Sintering & MIMnet shape
Stainless316L for corrosion resistance and 17-4PH for high strength and hardness — the workhorses of MIM.
SteelsLow-alloy and tool steels for structural and wear parts, heat-treatable after sintering.
DensityMIM reaches ~96–99% of full density; press-and-sinter parts are more porous by design, which can be used for self-lubricating bushings.
Part sizeBest under ~100 g and a few centimetres — small, intricate parts where moulding beats machining. Larger parts are usually cast or machined.
ToolingAn injection mould (MIM) or a compaction die (PM) — a one-time cost that amortizes over a high-volume run.

Full range of materials and finishes on Materials & finishes →

Picking a process

MIM pays off on small, complex parts at volume — not on simple or large ones.

MIM vs. CNC machining →

Machining wins for prototypes, larger parts and one-offs. MIM wins when a small part is complex enough that moulding beats machining and the volume justifies a tool.

MIM vs. die casting →

Die casting suits aluminum and zinc; MIM produces steel and stainless parts, denser and stronger than most castings, at small sizes with fine detail.

The tooling behind it →

MIM and PM both need a mould or die. We design and build the tooling in-house alongside the parts.

Sintering & MIM, answered

What's the difference between MIM and press-and-sinter powder metallurgy?

MIM injection-moulds a powder-binder feedstock like plastic, so it makes small, highly complex parts with undercuts and fine detail. Press-and-sinter compacts powder in a die, which suits simpler, more symmetric shapes like bushings and gears at very low cost. We pick by the part's geometry and volume.

How strong and dense are sintered parts?

MIM parts reach roughly 96–99% of wrought density, with mechanical properties close to machined metal, and 17-4PH can be heat-treated to high strength. Press-and-sinter parts are deliberately more porous — sometimes useful, as in self-lubricating bushings that hold oil.

What size of part suits MIM?

Small ones — typically under about 100 grams and a few centimetres. That is where moulding complex geometry beats machining it. Larger parts are usually better cast or machined, and your engineer will steer you there.

Which metals can you run?

Mainly stainless steels — 316L for corrosion resistance and 17-4PH for strength — plus low-alloy and tool steels for structural and wear parts. Others are available depending on the run.

What volumes justify the tooling?

MIM and PM both need a mould or die, so they pay off from thousands of parts upward, where the per-part price beats machining. Below that, machining without tooling is usually cheaper.

What if sintering isn't right for my part?

Then your engineer requotes it — larger or simpler parts as machining or casting. Opening this page doesn't commit you to a process.

CNC Machining →

The route for prototypes, larger parts and one-offs.

Die casting →

Cast metal parts at volume, where the part is bigger than MIM suits.

See all capabilities →

CNC, injection molding, casting and everything else we run.

Materials × process

Materials we run in sintering & mim.

Sourced, produced and finished under one quote. Tap a material to see the other processes it runs on — material and process are two axes you combine, not one nested inside the other.

Stainless SteelSteelAll materials & finishes →

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