ASCO Sintering Co. ramps up to full production volumes on automotive Shift by Wire components
October 25, 2016
ASCO Sintering Co., headquartered in Commerce, California, USA, has stated that full volume production of new sintered components used in 2016 MY ‘Shift by Wire’ systems for effortless gear shifting are now being supplied to a US Tier 1 automotive customer.
The compound gear, output gear, trigger arm, trigger link and couplings are net shape and were custom engineered and produced using a broad spectrum of advanced Powder Metallurgy solutions. Materials range from copper infiltrated steel, bearing grade steel and 316 stainless steel to sinter hardened steel.
Initial annual volumes of 200,000 for each of the main gear components represent a 20% increase in production demand and require investment into robotic off-loading and an automated non-destructive testing station to ensure world class quality levels for these parts, which are linked to the performance and critical safety features of the vehicle’s shifting mechanism.
The shift by wire system is becoming increasingly popular with OEM’s as automotive companies look for ways to reduce weight, save space, improve reliability and better integrate the drive train and shift mechanisms into the vehicles electronic system.
