What MIM stands for

[Pappy109]

I just can't seem to find MIM parts in a Glock....am I missing something?

Pappy

 

[NMGonzo]

I am missing whose fake n00b are you.

 

[Pappy109]

I am missing whose fake n00b are you.

Excuse me!

 

[76shuvlinoff]

Isn't there a similar comparison to the strength of rolled threads vs cut?

 

[Jim K]

You won't find MIM parts in a Glock, but you will find a lot of stamped parts, which once had a far worse reputation than MIM does now. One of the often repeated myths about the German P.38 was that it was "stamped out" rather than being made of "all milled parts" like the obviously superior Model 1911.

Jim

 

[Pappy109]

You won't find MIM parts in a Glock, but you will find a lot of stamped parts, which once had a far worse reputation than MIM does now. One of the often repeated myths about the German P.38 was that it was "stamped out" rather than being made of "all milled parts" like the obviously superior Model 1911.

Jim

That venerable 1911 just ain't what she used to be! Then again what mass produced gun is anymore.

 

[NMGonzo]

Excuse me!

Sock puppet ... like it better?

 

[Pappy109]

Sock puppet ... like it better?

Nope, I see you don't play well with others either. I would stay and play a while but I really have to stone and fit this sear and hammer for a customer....Cheers!~

 

[NMGonzo]

Ok ... gotta go home now.

 

[Owen]

Pappy, i don't believe you can make a generalisation about where all the MIM parts come from based on a single box of parts, when the box may have been what was lying around.

There are several huge companies involved in MIM in the US. Among these are Phillips, AFT, and Remington, not to mention dozens of other companies that mainly serve the automotive market

 

[w_houle]

mess in mold?

 

[mljdeckard]

If MIM parts GENERALLY fail, all mine must be defective. After thousands of rounds through my Kimber, I have never had a problem.

 

[Mr. Happy]

I thought MIM meant Made in Mexico... (Fender Guitar acronym)... as opposed to MIA (Made in America).... no value judgement.

 

[Pappy109]

Pappy, i don't believe you can make a generalisation about where all the MIM parts come from based on a single box of parts, when the box may have been what was lying around.

There are several huge companies involved in MIM in the US. Among these are Phillips, AFT, and Remington, not to mention dozens of other companies that mainly serve the automotive market

That would explain why we lost the edge in the automotive market and got beat out by Japan and bailed out by a bunch of morons in Washington.

Works for me just like a drawer!

 

[HisSoldier]

If cast in a centrifuge, they can be as strong or even stronger than forged metals... yielding nearly perfect molecular consistency. However, most companies merely let gravity do the work, which can result less than perfect castings... add to that a bit of poor QC and... hence the bad reputation.
Today 11:03 AM

MIM is a different process than casting, which you appear to be describing.

In my opinion casting, more specifically vacuum investment casting (Or the seldom seen centrifugal casting), is stronger than MIM. Many disagree. Most failures I read about are MIM failures.
Failures of forged, machined from bar and cast parts come into the discussion after someone starts talking about the failures of MIM by people who are trying to imply that MIM is no worse than other processes.

billet parts

That term "billet" is from the car cult I believe. We who work in manufacturing hardly ever use it. We buy bar stock, flat bar, plate and round bar, under a certain diameter it's called rod, under a certain thickness plate is called sheet. It may be used more in aviation for large pieces, but to me a billet is an unfinished slab of material that hasn't hit the finishing rolls yet.

 

[RedAlert]

FYI

When threads are cut, the grain of the metal is also cut. Generally this results in the possibility of failure points in the root of the thread unless the threading tool had a properly radiused tip. This is the primary stress point in cut threads. Roll formed threads don't suffer this problem if properly manufactured.

Roll forming of threads is a cold-forming process that swages during the process. This results in a stronger thread. Roll threading is the primary process in mass-production of external-threaded fasteners. It is faster, requires fewer sharpenings of the tooling and produces less waste.

For a given fastener, lets say a 1/2-13 unc bolt. If properly manufactured, there is no difference to the user of one over the other.

For small lot production of fasteners, cut threads will be the norm due to tooling costs. A lathe bit with threading insert is far less expensive than thread rolling set-up. The trade-off is time. Rolling is a one pass process where-as single-pointing of the threads is a multi-pass process.

Ralph

 

[Pappy109]

FYI

When threads are cut, the grain of the metal is also cut. Generally this results in the possibility of failure points in the root of the thread unless the threading tool had a properly radiused tip. This is the primary stress point in cut threads. Roll formed threads don't suffer this problem if properly manufactured.

Roll forming of threads is a cold-forming process that swages during the process. This results in a stronger thread. Roll threading is the primary process in mass-production of external-threaded fasteners. It is faster, requires fewer sharpenings of the tooling and produces less waste.

For a given fastener, lets say a 1/2-13 unc bolt. If properly manufactured, there is no difference to the user of one over the other.

For small lot production of fasteners, cut threads will be the norm due to tooling costs. A lathe bit with threading insert is far less expensive than thread rolling set-up. The trade-off is time. Rolling is a one pass process where-as single-pointing of the threads is a multi-pass process.

Ralph

Would this impact the sheer break off strength of the part?

 

[nonseven]

If cast in a centrifuge, they can be as strong or even stronger than forged metals... yielding nearly perfect molecular consistency. However, most companies merely let gravity do the work, which can result less than perfect castings... add to that a bit of poor QC and... hence the bad reputation.

MIM is done neither in a centrifuge or as a casting, it's injection molded under high pressure in an injection molding machine.

 

[theotherwaldo]

Google is your friend - or, in this case, Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_injection_molding

The process involves combining fine metal powders with plastic binders which allow the metal to be injected into a mold using equipment similar to standard plastic injection molding machines. After the part is molded and before the binders are removed, the part is referred to as a 'green part'. The next step is to remove the binders with solvents and thermal processes. The resultant metal part is sintered at temperatures great enough to bind the particles but not melt the metal.

 

[EddieNFL]

MIM is done neither in a centrifuge or as a casting, it's injection molded under high pressure in an injection molding machine.

That's what I've read. My understanding is MIM is not as strong as barstock, but better than cast.

 

[Pappy109]

Do they rehearse rain dances and does it rain at the rehearsals?...

 

[EddieNFL]

In years gone by certain tribes would schedule rain dance rehearsals, but always had to cancel because of rain. Not sure what effect it had on the MIM process, though.