The Metal Powder Industries
Federation, Princeton N.J., sponsors the
annual competition and handed out awards
at the recent PM2008 World Congress on
Powder Metallurgy & Particulate Materials.
The winning automotive parts —
as well
as those in hardware, appliances, medical,
and dental — exemplify powder metallurgy’s
(PM) precision, innovative design ability, superior
performance, sustainable technology,
and cost savings.
PMG Fssen GmbH, Fssen, Germany,
and its customer Schaeffler Group Automotive,
Hirschaid, Germany, built the complex,
grand-prize-winning stator from a
modified iron-copper PM material that is
formed to a density of 7 gm/cm3. It has five
intricate center holes and tight tolerances
that minimize oil leaks between adjoining
pressurized chambers. The stator reduces
fuel consumption and the formation of exhaust
gases, and improves engine performance,
especially torque at low rpms. It has
two splines, one for the timing-belt pulley
and one for the VVT housing. The PM part
is said to be substantially less expensive to
make than its two-part predecessor despite
the fact it needs finishing operations such
as sizing, machining, deburring, and steam
treating.
Cloyes Gear & Products Inc., Paris, Ark.,
received the automotive engine award of distinction for a timing
sprocket that handles cam phasing. The PM low-alloy-steel
intake and exhaust sprockets go in the VVT system of a highperformance,
double-overhead cam V6 engine. The sprockets
are formed using warm compaction to a density of 7.25 gm/cm3.
The 7.7-mm fine-pitch inverted sprocket teeth are compacted to
a near-net shape and heat treated and tempered to a 70 HRA typical
hardness. Each sprocket has a tensile strength of 170 kpsi, a
52-kpsi fatigue limit, and compressive yield strength of 183 kpsi.
Burgess-Norton Mfg. Co., Geneva, Ill., and its customer,
Means Industries, Saginaw, Mich., took home the automotive
transmission grand prize for a notch/backing plate and a pocket
plate used in a mechanical-diode one-way clutch for a six-speed
automatic transmission. The PM plates are assembled with steel
struts, coil springs, and a snap ring, which form the one-way
clutch. The sintered-hardened PM steel notch/backing plate
weighs 1.85 lb, has a tensile strength of 75 kpsi, and a density of
6.7 gm/cm3. The pocket plate has a similar density, a tensile
strength of 90 kpsi, and weighs 2.54 lb. PM provided superior
precision and cut costs 70% over wrought steel parts. Both parts are key to clutch performance. They let
drive torque be applied to the transmission
in second and sixth gear, as well as torque
transfer in reverse gear.
Mitsubishi Materials PMG Corp.,
Tokyo, Japan, and its customer Fuji Kiko
Co. Ltd., Shizuoka, Japan, captured the
automotive chassis grand prize for a gear set
used in a new tilting and telescoping steering
column. The gear set consists of a tooth lock
and two cams. Made from diffusion-alloyed
PM steel, the parts have a density greater than
7.05 gm/cm3, tensile strength over 159 kpsi,
and 57 HRA hardness. In replacing forged
and machined parts, PM saved money with a
net-shape design that eliminated the need for
machining.
Asco Sintering Co., Commerce, Calif., and its customer
Performance Friction Corp., Clover, S.C.,
took the automotive chassis award for a series of 316
stainless-steel bobbins used in a new braking system
for race cars and high-performance vehicles. The two-level part is available
in 14 variations with eight or more bobbins in a single brake rotor
assembly. The bobbins aid in tripling the brake-rotor fatigue life and
reducing drag (at elevated temperatures, vibration, and heat. The parts
are made to a density of 7.0 gm/cm3 and have a 70 kpsi tensile strength,
yield strength of 45 kpsi, 13% elongation, 48-ft-lb impact strength, and
HRB 65 hardness.
Parmatech Corp., Petaluma, Calif., took home the medical/dental
grand prize for its 17-4 PH stainless-
steel articulation gear used in a
surgical stapler. Made by metal injection
molding (MIM) to a density
of more than 7.65 gm/cm3, the gear
has an ultimate tensile strength of
130 kpsi, yield strength of 106 kpsi,
and a 25 HRC hardness. The MIM
design is formed to net shape and requires no finishing operations. It
has tight tolerances and provides a
70% cost savings compared to machining
the gear from bar stock.
The grand-prize-winning hardware/
appliances award went to Capstan
Atlantic, Wrentham, Mass. Its
PM steel gear set goes into a highvolume
printer. The gear is roll densified
to a surface density of 7.8 gm/cm3
and has an AGMA quality 10 precision
level. The pinion has an AGMA
8 level. The core density of the gear
and pinion is 7.3 gm/cm3. The fatigue
resistance of the gear-tooth surface
equals that of a wrought-steel 8620
carburized gear. The part, which has
opposing helix angles, is formed to
net shape, except for the datum journals
which are hard turned. A single
pressed-PM gear replaced two machined
gears at a cost savings of more
than 40%.
The hardware/appliance award of
distinction went to Kinetics Climax
Inc., Wilsonville, Oreg., for three
17-4 PH stainless-steel lock-cylinder
parts made by metal injection
molding for Black & Decker Hardware
and Home Improvement,
Lake Forest, Calif. The MIM parts (a
locking bar, pin, and rack) operate
in the Kwikset SmartKey lock cylinder, which contains one locking bar,
five pins, and five racks. The parts have
a typical density of 7.7 gm/cm3 and a
tensile strength of 128 kpsi and yield
strength of 100 kpsi. The PM design
lets consumers easily rekey the lock
without removing it or getting professional
help.
FloMet LLC, Deland, Fla., and its
customer, Starkey Laboratories Inc.,
Eden Prairie, Minn., took the electrical/
electronic award of distinction for their
MIM hearing-aid receiver can. The
thin-walled part is made from a nickeliron-
molybdenum alloy that provides the magnetic shunt effect needed by
the hearing aid to separate the internal
receiver signal from the telecoil signal.
The part was previously deep drawn
and required several annealing steps
to achieve the necessary depth, in addition
to forming internal undercuts.
MIM improved part performance and
provided a 50% cost savings.
Make Contact
Asco Sintering Co.
(323) 725-3550
ascosintering.com
Burgess-Norton Mfg. Co.
(630) 232-4100
burgessnorton.com
Capstan Atlantic
(508) 384-3100
capstanatlantic.com
Cloyes Gear & Products Inc.
(479) 484-5555
cloyes.com
FloMet LLC
(386) 736-4890
flowmet.com
Fuji Kiko Co. Ltd.
www.fujikiko-group.co.jp
Kinetics Climax Inc.
(503) 404-1200
kinetics.com
Means Industries
(989) 754-1433
meansindustries.com
Metal Powder Industries Federation
(609) 452-7700
mpif.org
Mitsubishi Materials PMG Corp.
+81-25-275-0111
www.pmgsinter.com
Parmatech Corp.
(800) 709-1555
parmatech.com
Performance Friction Corp.
(800) 521-8874
performancefriction.com
PMG Fssen GmbH
+49 8362 506-0
www.pmgsinter.com
Schaeffler Group Automotive
www.schaeffler.com
Starkey Laboratories Inc.
(800) 328-8602
starkey.com
Auto Market Still
Looks Good for PM Parts
“While PM has suffered because of changes in the automotive market,
along with cuts in vehicle production, there’s still cause for optimism,”
says MPIF president Mark Paullin. High-visibility products like powderforged
connecting rods, main bearing caps, and transmission carriers
are still made in high volumes and used by both the domestic OEMs and
transplants. Industry insiders report that Japanese transplant companies
are opening their doors to PM applications as they seek to reduce costs.
On the upside, new engines and six-speed transmissions contain more
PM parts, says Paullin. For example six-speed transmissions contain
18 to 26 lb of PM parts. The new GM High Feature 3.6-liter V6 DOHC
engine contains about 36 lb, more than the total PM parts in the average
U.S. vehicle in 1998. Another new PM component is the dual-clutch
transmission which contains about 16 to 18 lb of PM parts.
Next-gen diesel engines built in North American are scheduled for
introduction in 2009 to 2011. New PM applications here include cam
gear drives, idler gears, timing-system sprockets, and fuel-injector gears.
In addition, powder-forged connecting rods and PM bearing caps are
currently undergoing validation testing and the outlook for acceptance
looks promising. |
PM Courses
Go Online
Faced with marketplace
challenges, the PM
industry continues to
invest in new technology.
Developments in metal
powders, equipment,
and processes are leading
the way, but the Metal
Powder Industries
Federation is also helping
develop and maintain a
highly skilled workforce
through its online powder
metallurgy courses. The
MPIF e-learning program
starts with three courses:
Welcome to the world
of PM, Introduction to
compacting and primary
press operations, and
Introduction to sintering
fundamentals and furnace
design. More will follow.
Each course can be
completed in about
30 min. They feature
narration, colorful
graphics, many
illuminating animations,
and interactive navigation.
To learn about the
e-learning program,
including the ability to
view a short demo and to
see how easy registration
is, visit the MPIF Web site. |
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