E-IJPM: Vol. 44/4 - MPIF

2008 PM DESIGN EXCELLENCE AWARDS COMPETITION WINNERS
22
PMG Füssen GmbH, Füssen, Germany, and its
customer Schaeffler Group Automotive,
Hirschaid, Germany, won the Grand Prize in the
Automotive—Engine category for a stator (Figure
2) used in a variable valve timing (VVT) system in
a 1.4 L engine. Made from a modified iron–copper
PM material, the complex part is formed to a density
of 7.0 g/cm 3 . The stator, featuring five intricate
center holes, is a one-piece design that
replaced two parts. It is compacted on a 450 mt
press with three upper and two lower tooling levels.
Tight tolerances help to minimize any internal
oil leakage between the adjoining pressurized
chambers. The PM stator helps reduce fuel consumption
and the formation of exhaust gases, as
well as improving engine performance, especially
torque at low rotational speeds. It has two functions:
a spline for the timing-belt pulley and the
VVT housing. The PM process offered substantial
cost savings despite finishing operations such as
sizing, machining, deburring, and steam treating.
Burgess-Norton Mfg. Company, Geneva,
Illinois, and its customer, Means Industries,
Saginaw, Michigan, won the Grand Prize in the
Automotive—Transmission category for a notch/
backing plate and a pocket plate (Figure 3) used in
a mechanical diode (MD) one-way clutch for a sixspeed
automatic transmission. Made from sinterhardened
PM steel, the notch/backing plate weighs
840 g (1.85 lb.) and the pocket plate, 1,152 g (2.54
lb.). The PM plates are made to a near-net shape
and assembled with steel struts, coil springs, and a
snap ring, to form the one-way clutch. Both parts
are made to a density of 6.7 g/cm 3 . The
notch/backing plate has a tensile strength of 520
MPa (75,400 psi), and the pocket plate a tensile
strength of 620 MPa (90,000 psi). By choosing the
PM planar ratcheting MD design, designers were
able to eliminate a backing plate and combine a
costly splined sleeve into one PM part. The result
was superior precision and a 70 percent cost savings
over wrought steel parts. Both parts are vital
to the MD clutch design by permitting drive torque
to be applied to the transmission in second and
sixth gears as well as torque transfer in reverse
gear. It is estimated conservatively that 1.25 million
assemblies will be produced annually, translating
to 2.5 million PM parts.
Mitsubishi Materials PMG Corporation,
Tokyo, Japan, and its customer Fuji Kiko Co.
Ltd., Shizuoka, Japan, won the Grand Prize in
the Automotive—Chassis category for a high-
Figure 2. VVT stator
Figure 3. Notch/backing plate and pocket plate
strength gear set (Figure 4) used in a new tilting
and telescopic steering column. The gear set consists
of a tooth lock and two cams. Made from diffusion-alloyed
PM steel, the parts have a density
Volume 44, Issue 4, 2008
International Journal of Powder Metallurgy