S30V = MIM Parts?

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Willieboy

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Jul 4, 2002
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In addition to knives, I am also interested in firearms. I have read that Smith and Wesson, an other manufacturers I am sure, are using Metal Injection Molded (MIM) parts in their revolvers. These molded part require less had work to achieve proper fit in the revolver. Is S30V the knife industry's version of MIM parts? Lower cost but possibly lesser quality?
 
You will be seeing MIM being used in knifemaking soon. Kershaw is going to be getting into it in a big way i think.

S-30V isn't an inexpensive steel. Most steels used in knifemaking cost less. Some are much less expensive. I don't think S-30V was designed to be a compromise between price and quality.
 
Crucible particle metalurgy is by no means an inexpensive molding process, it's a smelting method that allows crucible to make high performance alloys that are impossible or difficult to create using conventional processes.
 
See the Remington website for details of the MIM process. I'ts an extension of powder metallurgy but the metal powders are mixed with a polymer and injection molded .The parts are then heated to drive off the polymer then heated more to bond the particles . ...The Crucible Particle Metallurgy process compresses and heats the particles to higher temperatures for a homonegous high density part equivalent to wrought material....MIM could be used for things like bolsters ,scales but not blades.
 
I think we've already been seeing MIM parts in the knife world. Spyderfly handles for example look like MIM to me. They're certainly a cast metal.
 
I wonder what happened to liquidmetal, it was supposed to be able to be cast to a finished blade
 
Here the process description of what as I understand Kershaw is using:

http://www.kinetics.com/metal/process.shtml

" After molding, green parts are debound and sintered at temperatures up to 2,600°F. During debinding, the polymer binder breaks down and dissipates while the metal particles retain all of the molded features. The metal particles fuse together during sintering and the part shrinks approximately 20% to form a solid metal part."

So it is solid metal as I understand and Kershaw used it for a while in their multitools.

Thanks, Vassili.

This is the MIM Blade

Kershaw-Offset-001.jpg
 
Honda is using MIM valvetrain parts on the high reving S-2000 engine.

Kimber has been using MIM part for a few years now with few reliability issues. Brittleness seems to be the biggest complaint with Kimber parts.

I've never had an issue with my Kimber (3 years and thousands of rounds).
 
What is interesting how they do HT with this technology?
How does internal steel structure looks like.

Particles are 25 micron, temperature is 2600F. What is Crucible particle sizes and temperature? If same then Kershaw can use powder from Crucible to make any CPM-MIM steel.

Thanks, Vassili.

P.S. More search results:
Knifecenter:
"Here's how MITE works: A blade mold is created and filled with a combination of powdered metal and binder. When it comes out of the mold, the blade is 20% larger than its finished size. The next stage of the process, sintering, removes the binder. Once it is sintered, the blade has reached its finished size and is at a density of 94%. Finally, the blade is HIPed under extreme pressure, approximately 32,000 psi, to increase the metal density to 99.7%."
 
That extra pressing can make a substantial difference . That's like Remingtons high density PM parts where there is a double pressing and sintering.BTW 99% density and 100% density are two very different things !!! There would have to be knife tests comparing MIM and wrought of the same material to know.
 
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