Both routes give you net-shape metal parts that would be slow to machine one by one. The deciding factors are part size, wall thickness, alloy melting point and order volume. We quote the part, not the process you guessed.
These are the failures we see when a part is quoted on the wrong route from the start.
MIM economics live on small parts. Feedstock cost, debinding time and sintering furnace space scale with mass. A part over roughly 100 mm long or 20 g is usually cheaper to cast, then machine the critical features.
A wax pattern and a ceramic shell set the floor here. Walls under about 0.8 mm and knife-edge features often will not fill cleanly. If you need 0.4 mm ribs, MIM handles them; the casting route does not.
Process capability tables are not your drawing. As-cast tolerance on a 60 mm dimension is often ±0.13 mm or looser. If the drawing calls for ±0.05 mm on a bore, plan a machining operation on top of the casting.
Tooling dominates MIM. Below roughly 1,000 parts per run, the amortized tool cost rarely beats a cast lot. Above a few hundred thousand a year, MIM usually wins. The crossover sits in the middle, and it moves with part geometry.
We run both tooling families and machine the result, so the recommendation is not tied to a process we already own.
MIM starts from a feedstock of fine metal powder mixed with a measured binder. The mix is injection molded, the binder is removed, and the part is sintered to full density. That sequence lets you mold geometry a wax pattern cannot hold: 0.4 mm walls, sharp internal corners, molded threads.
Tolerance is the second reason. MIM holds roughly ±0.005 mm per linear inch on stable dimensions, and surface finish lands near 1 μm, so most parts ship without a finishing cut. It only makes sense at volume, because the mold carries the cost.
Investment casting pours molten metal into a ceramic shell built around a wax pattern that is melted out first. The shell is fired above the metal's melting point, so it does not chill the pour. That is why large, thin-section steel and aluminum parts come out clean.
Size is the trade. A cast part can run well past 100 mm and a few kilograms, which MIM cannot touch. Surface finish typically sits around Ra 3.2 μm and as-cast tolerance is looser, so you budget a machining pass on the sealing faces and bores. Low volumes favor it because the pattern tool is cheaper.
Use this to shortlist; the final call needs the drawing and an annual volume.
| Factor | MIM | Investment Casting |
|---|---|---|
| Typical part size | Under 100 mm, under 20 g | Over 100 mm, several hundred grams |
| Wall thickness | Down to about 0.4 mm | About 0.8 mm and up |
| As-made tolerance | ±0.005 mm per linear inch | Often ±0.13 mm or looser |
| Surface finish | Around Ra 1 μm | Around Ra 3.2 μm |
| Suitable alloys | High melt alloys: stainless, alloy steel | Aluminum, copper-base, steels |
| Tooling cost | High, drives the break-even | Lower pattern tool cost |
| Economic volume | Hundreds of thousands per year | Below about 1,000 per run |
| Post-machining | Often none needed | Usually needed on critical faces |
Tooling is only half the job. The other half is hitting the tolerances on the features that matter.
16 simultaneous 5-axis centers for cast or molded parts that need tight bores, faces and pockets after the near-net step. One setup covers five sides.
27 three-axis machines, 12 four-axis mills and 16 mill-turn centers. We hold ±0.005 mm on the features your drawing actually tolerances.
Anodizing, electroless nickel, zinc, silver and gold plating, powder coating, black oxide, bead blasting, tumbling and polishing.
For fit checks before you commit to a mold. Verify the geometry, then release the production tool with fewer surprises.
For aluminum and zinc families where wall thickness and volume point away from both MIM and the shell route.
Silicone-tooled urethane parts in small batches. Useful for enclosures and covers while the metal tool is being cut.
Numbers below are what our floor can actually hold, not a catalog ceiling.
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Machines on the floor | 127 high-precision CNC machines |
| Simultaneous 5-axis | 16 machining centers |
| Maximum part size | 4,000 mm maximum processing size |
| Large travel | 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm |
| Medium travel | 750 × 1,150 × 550 mm and 600 × 600 × 600 mm |
| Compact travel | 500 × 500 × 450 mm and 500 × 310 × 200 mm |
| Rotary table | Ø400 mm rotary table |
| Tolerance | ±0.005 mm (±0.0002 in) |
| Fine finish | Ra 0.2–0.8 μm |
| Standard finish | Ra 0.8–1.6 μm |
Founded in 2011. Three wholly-owned plants and 7,600 m² under roof, with 150 technicians on the floor.
±0.005 mm on machined features. That is the number we quote, and the number final inspection checks against.
Send the drawing and volume. You get pricing plus a free DFM analysis within 12 hours, so you can close your own schedule.
Once the drawing and material are locked, the floor starts within a day. Parts ship in 3–5 days on standard jobs.
ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, ISO 13485:2016 and ISO 27001:2022. Raw material check, in-process monitoring, final inspection.
From one prototype to 10,000+ part runs. Uploads stay confidential, and an NDA is available on request.
Housings and brackets where cast blanks are machined on sealing faces and bores.
Small stainless and 17-4PH components with tight bores and documented inspection.
Joint housings and end-effector plates where mass and stiffness both matter.
Larger cast bodies finished on 4,000 mm travel machines without re-fixturing.
Yes, and it is common. A cast or molded blank arrives near net shape, then we machine the bores, sealing faces and any feature the drawing holds tighter than the process can.
You only pay for machining where the tolerance demands it. Send the drawing with toleranced features marked and we will tell you which ones need a cut.
Look at both length and mass. MIM suits parts under about 100 mm long and under 20 g. Past that, feedstock use, debinding time and furnace space rise faster than the part value.
Casting handles larger and heavier parts, but as-cast tolerance loosens and finish usually lands near Ra 3.2 μm, so plan a finishing operation.
MIM needs alloys that sinter to full density at high temperature. Aluminum and zinc melt too low for that cycle, and they oxidize readily during debinding.
Titanium alloys are also difficult here because they form strong oxides. Those parts are better routed to casting or to machining from bar.
Tooling is the dominant MIM cost, so small lots carry it poorly. Below roughly 1,000 parts per run, casting usually wins on total cost.
At hundreds of thousands per year, MIM spreads the mold across enough parts to beat casting. Between those points, geometry decides. We will run both numbers when you send the drawing.
Often, yes, but not everywhere. MIM holds about ±0.005 mm per linear inch and finishes near Ra 1 μm, so many parts ship as molded.
Cast parts usually need a machining pass on bores, threads and sealing faces. We hold ±0.005 mm on those features and inspect 100% before shipment.
A 3D model or 2D drawing with toleranced features marked, the alloy, and an annual volume estimate. If you have a target unit cost, send that too.
You get a quotation and a free DFM analysis within 12 hours. No minimum order quantity, from one prototype to 10,000+ part runs.
Uploads are secure and confidential. We can sign your NDA, or use ours, before drawings change hands.
Our quality system is certified to ISO 27001:2022 for information security, alongside ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016 and ISO 13485:2016.
Anodizing in clear, color, hardcoat and conductive types; electroless nickel, zinc, silver and gold plating; powder coating and black oxide; bead blasting, tumbling, brushing and polishing.
Laser marking and engraving are available with a minimum character height of 1.5 mm.
Tell us the alloy and the annual volume. You get pricing and a free DFM analysis within 12 hours, with no minimum order quantity.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo MOQNDA on request
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Upload your 3D model or 2D drawing and get a quotation with a free DFM analysis. Maximum processing size 4,000 mm.
CNC Metals 13 grades
CNC Plastics 10 grades
Machines & processes 12 options
Surface & post-processing 10 options
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