JPMA Award Winners 2017
Effort Prizes
Development of a gasoline direct injection mechanism part ‘guide, fuel pump lifter’
An effort prize was awarded to Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. for the development of a ‘Guide, fuel pump lifter’ used in a boosting mechanism for gasoline direct injection engines (Fig. 6). In the future, the introduction of this booster mechanism to engines will expand globally, rising to around 150,000 engines per month. Therefore, reducing the cost of each part in this mechanism was actively considered.
Fig. 6 A gasoline direct injection mechanism part ‘guide, fuel pump lifter’
Specifically, the cost of the PM guide lifter part was reduced by 30%, compared with that of a cast part, by minimising machining allowance while selecting optimal material and production process for the satisfaction of the required specifications.
The Fe-Cu-C system was chosen as the material on the basis of its performance and price competitiveness. On the basis of the results of endurance tests carried out by the customer, it was determined that the heat treatment process could be omitted. The maximum level of near net shape was realised, by divided upper and lower punches to make holes, which satisfied the weight reduction requirement. The knock hole pitch and the inside diameter of the part were machined due to the high dimensional accuracy requirement.
As a result, the developed PM guide, fuel pump lifter parts were installed in a gasoline direct injection mechanism pump for the first time in Japan.
Development of a thin sprocket without a sizing process
Diamet Corporation gained a further award for the development of a sprocket with a diameter of over 100 mm and a 3.8 mm tooth thickness, for use in a Variable Valve Timing (VVT) system (Fig. 7). The development goals were to hold the same dimensional accuracy as a conventional sprocket and to offer lower cost than a fine-blanked sprocket.
Fig. 7 Diamet won an award for the development of this thin sprocket produced without a sizing process
To achieve the cost target, Diamet improved the dimensional accuracy of the sintered compact and eliminated the sizing process by optimising the tooling arrangement, powder feeding conditions and sintering setter shape.
Magnetic flaw detection was also eliminated, through the introduction of a ‘touchless’ line from compaction to the sintering process.
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