diff --git a/doc/changelog.d/1060.added.md b/doc/changelog.d/1060.added.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f22dbd231
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changelog.d/1060.added.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Create option for PyPIM to be installed separately
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 45e6fa9a3..8de54fd6a 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ dependencies = [
     "ansys-api-mechanical==0.1.2",
     "ansys-mechanical-env==0.1.9",
     "ansys-mechanical-stubs==0.1.6",
-    "ansys-platform-instancemanagement>=1.0.1",
     "ansys-pythonnet>=3.1.0rc2",
     "ansys-tools-path>=0.3.1",
     "appdirs>=1.4.0",
@@ -87,6 +86,9 @@ viz = [
     "ansys-tools-visualization-interface>=0.2.6",
     "usd-core==24.11",
 ]
+pim = [
+    "ansys-platform-instancemanagement>=1.0.1",
+]
 
 [project.scripts]
 ansys-mechanical = "ansys.mechanical.core.run:cli"
diff --git a/src/ansys/mechanical/core/mechanical.py b/src/ansys/mechanical/core/mechanical.py
index 6651f5ef8..7e472ef5a 100644
--- a/src/ansys/mechanical/core/mechanical.py
+++ b/src/ansys/mechanical/core/mechanical.py
@@ -32,12 +32,12 @@
 import socket
 import threading
 import time
+from typing import Optional
+import warnings
 import weakref
 
 import ansys.api.mechanical.v0.mechanical_pb2 as mechanical_pb2
 import ansys.api.mechanical.v0.mechanical_pb2_grpc as mechanical_pb2_grpc
-import ansys.platform.instancemanagement as pypim
-from ansys.platform.instancemanagement import Instance
 import ansys.tools.path as atp
 import grpc
 
@@ -57,6 +57,16 @@
     threaded,
 )
 
+# Check if PyPIM is installed
+try:
+    import ansys.platform.instancemanagement as pypim  # pragma: nocover noqa: F401
+
+    _HAS_ANSYS_PIM = True
+    """Whether or not PyPIM exists."""
+except ImportError:
+    _HAS_ANSYS_PIM = False
+
+
 # Checking if tqdm is installed.
 # If it is, the default value for progress_bar is true.
 try:
@@ -1932,7 +1942,9 @@ def launch_grpc(
     return port
 
 
-def launch_remote_mechanical(version=None) -> (grpc.Channel, Instance):  # pragma: no cover
+def launch_remote_mechanical(
+    version=None,
+) -> (grpc.Channel, Optional["Instance"]):  # pragma: no cover
     """Start Mechanical remotely using the Product Instance Management (PIM) API.
 
     When calling this method, you must ensure that you are in an environment
@@ -1951,6 +1963,13 @@ def launch_remote_mechanical(version=None) -> (grpc.Channel, Instance):  # pragm
     -------
         Tuple containing channel, remote_instance.
     """
+    # Display warning if PyPIM is not installed
+    if not _HAS_ANSYS_PIM:
+        warnings.warn(
+            "Installation of pim option required! Use ``pip install ansys-mechanical-core[pim]``."
+        )
+        return
+
     pim = pypim.connect()
     instance = pim.create_instance(product_name="mechanical", product_version=version)
 
@@ -2062,7 +2081,7 @@ def launch_mechanical(
     version : str, optional
         Mechanical version to run in the three-digit format. For example, ``"251"``
         for 2025 R1. The default is ``None``, in which case the server runs the
-        latest installed version. If PyPIM is configured and ``exce_file=None``,
+        latest installed version. If PyPIM is configured and ``exec_file=None``,
         PyPIM launches Mechanical using its ``version`` parameter.
     keep_connection_alive : bool, optional
         Whether to keep the gRPC connection alive by running a background thread
@@ -2099,7 +2118,7 @@ def launch_mechanical(
     """
     # Start Mechanical with PyPIM if the environment is configured for it
     # and a directive on how to launch Mechanical was not passed.
-    if pypim.is_configured() and exec_file is None:  # pragma: no cover
+    if _HAS_ANSYS_PIM and pypim.is_configured() and exec_file is None:  # pragma: no cover
         LOG.info("Starting Mechanical remotely. The startup configuration will be ignored.")
         channel, remote_instance = launch_remote_mechanical(version=version)
         return Mechanical(
diff --git a/src/ansys/mechanical/core/pool.py b/src/ansys/mechanical/core/pool.py
index fe0e09930..e1da03a70 100644
--- a/src/ansys/mechanical/core/pool.py
+++ b/src/ansys/mechanical/core/pool.py
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@
 import time
 import warnings
 
-import ansys.platform.instancemanagement as pypim
 from ansys.tools.path import version_from_path
 
 from ansys.mechanical.core.errors import VersionError
 from ansys.mechanical.core.mechanical import (
+    _HAS_ANSYS_PIM,
     _HAS_TQDM,
     LOG,
     MECHANICAL_DEFAULT_PORT,
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ def __init__(
         if "exec_file" in kwargs:
             exec_file = kwargs["exec_file"]
         else:
-            if pypim.is_configured():  # pragma: no cover
+            if _HAS_ANSYS_PIM and pypim.is_configured():  # pragma: no cover
                 if "version" in kwargs:
                     version = kwargs["version"]
                     self._remote = True