Sheet Metal

RIM offers higher design complexity & lighter parts than sheet metal

Sheet metal is a very low cost option for part production, but with this process you sacrifice many design features and often add piece counts and costs to final assembly.

Design Features
RIM allows for much more intricate and sophisticated form development compared to sheet metal. Any features on the inner or outer surface of a sheet metal part must be cut out, welded, or bolted on as a secondary process. With these features molded into a RIM mold, you can reduce assembly, add value to the overall design, and ultimately lower unit costs.

Encapsulation
Materials cannot be encapsulated in sheet metal. Only RIM can encapsulate metals, electronics, and other parts for optimum protection and strength.

Finish & Surfacing
Both processes produce a high quality finish, but also take paint, silk screening and texturing well for improved branding.

Volumes
Sheet metal is the most cost-effective option for small production volumes, but RIM should be taken into consideration if the part design is complex or if there is a long term product life.

Lead Times
While sheet metal fabricating is relatively quick, RIM molding can incorporate features directly into the mold that require less secondary part assembly.

Tooling Costs
Up-front costs for sheet metal are lower than that of RIM, and modifications can also be made at low costs. The trade-off is that features cannot be designed into sheet metal as they would with the RIM process, so secondary assembly and cosmetics should be taken into account.

Other Design Benefits
Using RIM molding will yield a much more attractive, sculpted design that is lighter in weight and has better chemical resistance and insulation properties.