MPIF announces 2021 Powder Metallurgy Design Excellence Award winners
July 1, 2021
The winners in the 2021 Powder Metallurgy Design Excellence Awards competition, sponsored by the Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF), were announced during the International Conference on Powder Metallurgy and Particulate Materials (PowderMet2021), held in Orlando, Florida, USA, from June 20–23, 2021.
This year’s winners showcase PM’s diversity, with components used in a range of applications, from electric vehicles to ceiling fans. Designers use PM’s flexibility to push forward new concepts and process controls to demonstrate the capabilities PM can bring to critical applications such as auto engines and transmissions, medical devices, consumer products, hardware, and more.
In the design competition, a total of six Grand Prizes and sixteen Awards of Distinction were presented across the manufacturing categories of conventional Powder Metallurgy (PM), Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) and metal Additive Manufacturing.
Here, we highlight the Powder Metallurgy winners.
Grand Prizes
Automotive – Chassis Category PM

A Grand Prize in the Automotive – Chassis Category for Conventional PM components was awarded to Phoenix Sintered Metals LLC, USA, and its customer Dana Incorporated, for a stepped planetary gear used in a ridged rear axle gear box for battery electric light commercial vehicles. The five-level pinion is made using FL-4405-100HT.
It was essential to be able to deliver tight dimensional control for this complex shaped part, with the MPIF stating that no other metal forming technology could provide the part geometry at a commercially competitive price.
Hardware/Appliances Category PM

In the Hardware/Appliances Category for Conventional PM components, a Grand Prize was awarded to Metalpo Ind e Com Ltda and their customer Groupe SEB – Arno Clock Krups Panex Penedo Rochedo, for a soft magnetic composite (SMC) superior and inferior stator for a mono-phase induction motor for a ceiling fan. The component was specifically designed for the PM process to take advantage of the 3D magnetic flux, resulting in less copper wiring, a 76% reduction in the mass of the motor, and 35% less energy consumption and quieter operation.
Awards of distinction
Lawn & Garden/Off-Highway PM

In the Lawn & Garden/Off-Highway Conventional PM components Category, an Award of Distinction was presented to Sintergy Inc. and their customer Knott Brake Company for a drum brake shoe for off-highway units. The parts have localised infiltration to improve the region subject to wear. The PM parts replaced a three-piece weldment and passed extensive durability and performance testing.

In the Lawn & Garden/Off-Highway Conventional PM components Category, an Award of Distinction was also given to Singhal Sintered Pvt. Ltd. for bush speed gears for tractor transmissions. The previously forged parts have an inner diameter spline with a step. Maintaining the tight spline tolerance during the heat-treatment process was challenging. Finishing operations include OD grinding and face grinding.
Hand Tools/Recreation Category PM

In the Hand Tools/Recreation Category for Conventional PM components, an Award of Distinction has been given to Nichols Portland LLC for a positive displacement gerotor assembly for customised performance-racing fuel pumps. Racing applications require higher delivery pressures with fuel formulations that provide very low levels of lubricity. A novel material was developed to meet these needs in which a wear-resistant hard phase is dispersed within a matrix.
Industrial Motors/Controls & Hydraulics Category PM

In the Industrial Motors/Controls & Hydraulics Category for Conventional PM components, an Award of Distinction was given to Capstan for a coupling handle used to prevent accidental disconnects. Previously a casting, the conversion to PM permitted the elimination of the casting gate, incorporation of a locational pin-button hole and lettering. The coupling handles are used to provide improved pressure and temperature control capabilities in fluid power controls for a wide variety of applications.
For metal AM and MIM winning parts click here: