Nichols Portland scales sintering operations with Elnik technology
Elnik Systems, LLC, Pineville, North Carolina, USA, has shared a case study detailing how Nichols Portland Inc (NPI), headquartered in St Mary’s, Pennsylvania, is utilising sintering technology from Elnik and DSH Technologies, Cedar Grove, New Jersey, to overcome fabrication challenges.
Softer metals, such as copper, are typically sintered at 750–1,000°C, while harder metals such as titanium and stainless-steel sinter between 1,150–1,400°C. The range matters, especially when it comes to design, shrinkage, and component intention. These factors present a challenge requiring a solution that is simple, scalable and reliable.
NPI Director of Engineering, David Smith, shared, “Each metal — whether MIM or AM — could require unique sintering recipes for densification, plus an industrial furnace capable of handling varying temperatures and atmospheric controls. I’ve worked with several furnace types and encountered failures due to capacity constraints or temperature nonuniformity.”
NPI currently operates four industrial furnaces and several catalytic debind units at its St Mary’s location. Each furnace is equipped with a gas plenum retort for superior gas distribution, AccuTemp + Offset Manager and either a graphite or all-metal hot zones and retorts. NPI also partners with DSH Technologies for troubleshooting, recipe development, training, and research.
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Solution
“As a contract manufacturer, we are introduced to new engineering challenges every day and are asked to push the limits on behalf of our customers. We thrive on this pressure, but we also acknowledge how valuable it is to have reliable partners that can fill the knowledge gaps,” Smith shares the unique challenges that come with scaling the business. “We lean on Elnik Systems and DSH Technologies with confidence to support our toughest metallurgy, process control, and sintering challenges.”
With Elnik’s full debind and sinter portfolio, NPI advances its sintered metals division for high-volume production of complex shapes that would otherwise require costly machining and added resources. Compared to alternative metalworking technologies, sintered metals reportedly achieve superior tolerances with surface finishes that the automotive, agricultural, and commercial markets have come to expect and rely on. This includes applications such as cylinder liners, camshaft assemblies, gears, rotors, and other high-volume components in industrial equipment.
Results
NPI continues to scale its business using Elnik equipment and the confidence that comes with reliable, repeatable technology. “To keep costs manageable for clients, NPI must be highly attentive to every stage of the process—and incorrect sintering can have a significant impact on the bottom line,” Smith shared. “Sintering is a major cost consideration, and if we experience furnace issues, we are at risk of losing an entire batch. The benefit of Elnik Systems’ molybdenum furnace is a clean, controlled, and monitored environment that steadily produces when we need it most.”
DSH Technologies reportedly enables NPI to reduce the time required for new project investigations and uncover new applications in untapped markets. Most notably, meeting AMS 2750 standards for aerospace alloys or advancing opportunities in the medical device or implant markets. DSH Technologies, led by Chief Metallurgist Bryan Sherman, also remains a steady partner for education and training for NPI’s engineering staff and for external customer engagements.
Smith added, “Regardless of the metallurgy resources available on staff, there is a lot of tribal knowledge and information that can be taken for granted. Bryan at DSH Technologies was excellent at reducing the learning curve for us and instrumental in developing new recipes and troubleshooting existing ones. There is a strong relationship between NPI and DSH—we consider them an extension of our business.”
