MIM Manufacturer in China — Precision Metal Injection Molding

A MIM manufacturer produces small, complex metal parts by molding a metal-powder feedstock, then debinding and sintering it to full density. Ningbo Precision Tech is a metal injection molding factory in Ningbo, China, running stainless steel, low-alloy steel, titanium, tungsten and soft magnetic alloys at 50+ million pieces per year, ISO 9001 certified.

What a MIM manufacturer actually does for you

A MIM factory is not a machine shop with an extra process. It takes a drawing or STEP file, builds a steel mold, compounds feedstock in-house, molds the green part, debinds and sinters it, then adds only the secondary operations the tolerance actually requires. Your engineering team reviews DFM feedback and first articles — not the sintering curve.

Three things separate a factory from a trading company:

They compound their own feedstock. Feedstock consistency decides whether every cavity shrinks the same. Buying pre-compounded pellets is acceptable; buying finished parts from a third party is not the same business.
They own the sintering furnace and the QC loop. Density, carbon control and dimensional drift are decided in the furnace. If that step is outsourced, nobody can hold ±0.3% consistently.
They quote from a real DFM review. A price given without looking at wall thickness, undercuts and tolerance stack is a guess.

Factory capability at a glance

Item	Capability
Location	Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
Process	Metal injection molding (MIM), plus machining, heat treatment, plating and assembly
Materials	316L, 17-4PH, 420, 440C, SUS304, Fe-2Ni, Fe-8Ni, 8620, 4140, M2, D2, Inconel 718, Ti-6Al-4V, WC-Co, W-Ni-Fe, Fe50Ni, Fe-Si, copper, Kovar
Part weight	0.1–150 g typical; up to 250 g demonstrated
As-sintered tolerance	±0.3% of dimension; ±0.5% on complex net-shape features
Sintered density	>97% typical
Minimum wall	0.3 mm; under 6 mm recommended
Capacity	50+ million pieces per year
Mold life	100,000+ shots
Typical batch	10,000+ pcs/year for production economics; prototypes from 500–1,000 pcs
Lead time	5–8 weeks from design release to tooling and samples
Quality system	ISO 9001
Reference customers	Panasonic, Fukuda

How we work with a new customer

Drawing review (2–3 days). Send a 2D drawing with tolerances, or a STEP file. We return a DFM note: what MIM can hold as-sintered, what needs secondary machining, what will drive cost, and where the design fights the process.
Quotation. Piece price at your annual volume, tooling cost by cavity count, and the batch size where MIM beats your current routing. If CNC or casting is cheaper for that part, we say so.
Tooling and first articles (4–6 weeks). Mold build, trial shots, dimensional report and samples for your own inspection.
Ramp-up (2–3 weeks). Process window locked, documentation if you need it, then serial production.
Serial supply. SPC on critical dimensions, material certificates per lot, and change control on anything that touches the part.

How to audit a MIM supplier

Use this checklist on us, or on any other factory quoting the same part.

Check	What good looks like	Red flag
Feedstock	Compounded in-house or from a named supplier with lot traceability	"We source it" with no name
Furnace	Continuous or batch sintering under atmosphere control, profiles logged	Sintering subcontracted
Density data	Sintered density reported per lot, typically >97%	Only "high density" claimed
Tolerance evidence	Cpk or dimensional reports on a part like yours	"±0.3% guaranteed" with no data
Secondary operations	Machining, heat treatment and plating handled or managed in one place	Every operation brokered out
Quality system	ISO 9001 certificate with a current scope	Certificate for a different site
Communication	DFM feedback before quoting	Price first, questions never
References	Named OEM customers you can check	"Confidential" for everything

Materials we run

Stainless steels: 316L, 17-4PH, 420, 440C, 304/SUS304
Low-alloy steels: Fe-2Ni, Fe-8Ni, 4605, 4140 / 42CrMo4, 4340, case-hardened 8620 for gears
Tool steels: M2, D2
Nickel and cobalt alloys: Inconel 718, Hastelloy X, cobalt-chromium F75
Titanium: commercially pure Ti and Ti-6Al-4V
Cemented carbide: WC-Co for wear parts and nozzles
Tungsten heavy alloys: W-Ni-Fe, W-Ni-Cu, W-Cu, minimum density 16.5 g/cm3
Soft magnetic alloys: Fe50Ni, Fe-Si, Fe-2Ni, Fe-8Ni
Copper and Kovar for thermal and electrical parts; alumina and zirconia ceramics

Tensile data by grade: MIM material properties. Grade-by-application matrix: MIM materials and applications. Process detail: metal injection molding process. Comparison with other processes: MIM vs CNC vs casting.

Frequently asked questions

Are you a factory or a trading company?

A factory. The plant is in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China, with in-house feedstock compounding, molding, debinding, sintering and secondary operations.

What is your MOQ?

Prototypes from 500–1,000 pieces. Production economics turn at 10,000+ pieces per year; below that we still quote and will say if CNC or casting is cheaper.

Can you work to our drawings and specifications?

Yes. We work from customer drawings, STEP files and material specs, and return DFM feedback before quoting. First articles come with a dimensional report.

How do you control quality in serial production?

ISO 9001 system, SPC on critical dimensions, material certificates per lot, and change control on process or material changes.

What is the lead time?

5–8 weeks from design release to tooling and samples; a custom gear runs 8–10 weeks total.

Which customers do you supply?

Panasonic and Fukuda, among others, across automotive, medical, consumer electronics and industrial applications.