E-IJPM: Vol. 44/4 - MPIF

2008 PM DESIGN EXCELLENCE AWARDS COMPETITION WINNERS
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two-level part is available in 14 variations with
eight or more bobbins used in a single brake rotor
assembly. The new bobbin design aids in tripling
the brake-rotor fatigue life, reducing drag at elevated
temperatures, as well as reducing vibration
and temperature. PM was chosen over a wrought
machined design. The parts are made to a density
of 7.0 g/cm 3 and have a tensile strength of 480
MPa (70,000 psi), a yield strength of 310 MPa
(45,000 psi), 130 MPa (19,000 psi) fatigue
Figure 10. 17-4 PH stainless steel lock-cylinder parts
Figure 11. Hearing aid receiver cans
strength, 13 percent elongation, 65 J (48 ft.·lb.)
impact strength, and HRB 65 hardness.
Kinetics Climax, Inc., Wilsonville, Oregon,
won the Award of Distinction in the Hardware/
Appliances category for three 17-4 PH stainless
steel lock-cylinder parts (Figure 10) made by MIM
for Black & Decker Hardware and Home
Improvement, Lake Forest, California. 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, totaling
11 MIM parts. The high-precision parts have a
typical density of 7.7 g/cm 3 , a tensile strength of
900 MPa (130,500 psi), and a yield strength of
730 MPa (106,000 psi). The complex PM design
provides significant cost savings and allows the
consumer to re-key the lock easily, without
removing it or getting professional help.
FloMet LLC, Deland, Florida, and its customer,
Starkey Laboratories, Inc., Eden Prairie,
Minnesota, won the Award of Distinction in the
Electrical/Electronic Components category for a
hearing aid receiver can (Figure 11) made by MIM.
The thin-walled part is made from a
nickel–iron–molybdenum alloy that provides the
magnetic shunt effect required in the hearing aid
to separate the internal receiver signal from the
telecoil signal. The part was previously deep
drawn and required several interim annealing
steps to achieve the necessary depth, in addition
to forming the internal undercuts. Choosing the
MIM manufacturing process provided a 50 percent
cost savings over deep drawing as well as
improved performance. FloMet performs a special
sizing/coining operation to maintain tolerances
on the OD and ID.
The awards were presented during the PM2008
World Congress held in Washington, D.C., June
8–12, sponsored by MPIF and APMI. Past winners
of the MPIF PM Design Excellence Awards
Competition can be viewed by visiting
www.mpif.org.
Volume 44, Issue 4, 2008
International Journal of Powder Metallurgy