1. Process overview

1.1 Process principle

The microPIM process is one of the new shaping processes for the manufacture of micro-components and potentially MEMS. MicroPIM is a hybrid between thermoplastic injection molding and powder metallurgy pressing/sintering. It is a "net-shape" process, enabling components to be manufactured directly to dimensions, without the need for reworking. MicroPIM is an extension of PIM for the manufacture of micro parts.

Thanks to its specific features, this process should find applications in a wide range of industrial sectors.

When manufacturing cost becomes a criterion of choice, net-shape processes show their advantage. These processes enable objects with potentially complex shapes to be manufactured directly (and therefore...