You don't need to decide on the manufacturing process in advance. Porite Taiwan will provide suggestions based on the part's shape, size, material, strength, tolerances, quantity, and cost targets.

Generally speaking:

• Traditional Powder Metallurgy (PM): Suitable for larger quantities of parts that can be formed by pressing from the top and bottom, where material utilization and mass production costs are important.
• Metal Injection Molding (MIM): Suitable for smaller parts with complex geometries, many details, and high costs associated with traditional pressing or machining.
• High-Density Powder Metallurgy (HPM): Suitable for products requiring higher density, strength, and gear precision than general PM.
• Metal 3D Printing: Suitable for early-stage samples, design verification, or small-scale custom orders.
• Machining: Generally more suitable for initial small quantities of parts with very precise dimensions or designs that frequently change.

The best practice is not to specify the process first, but to first define "what function the part needs to achieve.