Advanced Powder Products Wins Grand Prizes for Metal Injection Molding

Mar 26, 2021

Advanced Powder Products, Inc. (APP) won the Grand Prize in both the Aerospace/Defense and Medical/Dental for metal injection molding categories

PHILIPSBURG, PA JULY 28, 2020 – Applications that require small, complex metal components have been turning to powder metallurgy technologies like metal injection molding (MIM) to drive continuous improvement and innovation. Due to its design flexibility, MIM manufacturing continues to gain popularity among those requiring small, durable components, including automotive, medical device, aerospace, defense and military and defense industries.

This was most recently demonstrated with the 2020 Powder Metallurgy Design Excellence Awards Competition, sponsored by the Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF). Advanced Powder Products, Inc. (APP) won the Grand Prize in both the Aerospace/Defense and Medical/Dental for metal injection molding categories.

APP took home the Grand Prize in the Medical/Dental category for MIM components for its Guide Tube used in dental surgery. Unique component has extremely thin wall sections and an integrated impingement plate located on the inner diameter of the tube's tip. The guide tube's impingement plate features a Gaussian curvature the only MIM manufacturing can produce economically. To create the plate, APP engineering proprietary tooling utilizing three separate slides that move at an angle to seal on a small core pin. The tooling members must seal and align exactly on the Gaussian surface to prevent parting line flash, mismatch, or application failure. Finally, the guide tube is sintered, HIPed, heat-treated, and laser welded. The finished component was tested to stand up against a considerable amount of fluid flow and fatigue without resulting in any component fractures or surface erosion.

Watch the YouTube video here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nua3s5ISxGI