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The Development and Application of Metal Powder Injection Molding in the Watch Industry

2022-01-14

　　The global watch industry generates annual sales of 15 billion U.S. dollars, and metal powder injection molding has become closely involved in the production of many new watch models. Watch bracelets, clasps, and cases made using powder injection molding are produced worldwide.

　　Initially, due to market saturation in the traditional watch industry and declining manufacturing costs associated with conventional forging processes, the rapid growth rate of metal powder injection molding parts once slowed down. However, with the growing popularity of smart wearables and the increasing complexity of watch designs, the application of powder injection molding in watch components has once again experienced rapid growth. Figure 2 shows a tiny component used in a smart wearable device.

　　The reason why metal injection molding (MIM) technology has achieved successful applications in the watch industry lies primarily in its suitability for mass production. Typically, an MIM process takes only 5 to 7 days per cycle, allowing for continuous supply once a cycle is completed. Daily production capacity can range from several hundred to hundreds of thousands of parts, depending on demand. Moreover, since MIM products are formed using molds that resemble injection-molding tools, they offer exceptionally high freedom in geometric design. In essence, any product that can be molded via injection molding can also be manufactured using the MIM process. Because the raw powder used in MIM has a D90 particle size of less than 18 microns, the surface roughness of the sintered green parts can reach around Ra 0.8, which greatly facilitates subsequent processes such as grinding, polishing, and electroplating. Thus, metal injection molding can meet the stringent aesthetic requirements of the watch industry.

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Overview of the Development of Metal Powder Injection Molding

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