Award-winning metal AM parts from the MPIF’s 2024 Design Excellence Awards
For many decades, North America's Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF) has organised its PM Design Excellence Awards competition in order to showcase the capabilities of the Powder Metallurgy industry. With the growing commercial success of metal powder-based Additive Manufacturing, the competition is seeing an ever larger number of entrants from this sector. Award-winning parts in this year's competition include parts not only produced by Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion, but also a wide range of innovative sinter-based AM processes. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 10 No. 2, Summer 2024 | 5 minute read | View on Issuu | Download PDF]
The winners of the 2024 Powder Metallurgy Design Excellence Awards competition, sponsored by the Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF), were announced at the annual PowderMet conference, held this year in Pittsburgh. Ten Grand Prizes and seventeen Awards of Distinction were presented in this year’s competition, with entries divided into three categories: conventional ‘Press and Sinter’ Powder Metallurgy (PM); Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) and Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM).
The winners once again demonstrate outstanding examples of the diversity of the powder metallurgical manufacturing of high-performance components, and the capability of all of the featured processes to meet the most critical of requirements. From electric vehicles to medical implants, parts manufacturers have demonstrated the versatility of PM, MIM and metal AM to challenge competing technologies.
This article highlights awards presented in the Metal Additive Manufacturing category. Details of winners in the Powder Metallurgy category can be viewed on the PM Review magazine website here. Details of winners in the Metal Injection Moulding category can be viewed on the PIM International magazine website here.
GRAND PRIZE WINNERS
Automotive – Engine
In the Automotive – Engine Category for metal AM components, a Grand Prize was awarded to Divergent Technologies, Inc for its CZV engine exhaust tip for the Czinger 21C (Fig. 2). The part was produced by Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) and a built-in honeycomb structure was iteratively positioned along the flow pathway to optimise weight, balance and ideal pressure drop.
Additive Manufacturing enabled rapid design loops, manufacturing, and testing to optimise the product’s design in less than one month. It was stated that a similar product would take up to six months to produce via conventional manufacturing. Lightweighting was a particular focus of the part’s design.
Military/Firearms
A Grand Prize in the Military/Firearms Category for metal AM components was awarded to Australia’s Amaero and its customer, Wedgetail Industries, for a firearms suppressor (Fig. 3). The suppressor is made by PBF-LB, using either Ti-6Al-4V or Inconel 718.
Firearms suppressors are typically manufactured as an assembly of precision machined components, joined with one or more threaded joints. Metal Additive Manufacturing provides the opportunity to create very complex suppressor designs that contain no mechanical joints, and permits design details that are unachievable through traditional manufacturing processes.
Hardware/Appliance
A Grand Prize in the Hardware/Appliance Category for metal AM components was awarded to Kennametal Inc for a stator bore-reaming tool (Fig. 4). The component is part of a cutting tool for machining stator bore housings for electric vehicle motors, and is capable of machining two diameters concurrently in one pass.
The component was produced by PBF-LB. The design allows large sections of the component to be self-supporting, reducing the need for post-processing operations. The AM process also enabled the production of a lighter tool, facilitating manual and automated tool handling, as well as enabling faster and more efficient acceleration of the machine spindle.
Medical/Dental
In the Medical/Dental Category for metal AM components, a Grand Prize was awarded to 3DEO Inc and its customer, Zimmer Biomet, for bone marrow harvester parts (Fig. 5). Advanced suction curettage technology can harvest small to large volumes of cancellous (trabecular) bone and non-diluted bone marrow aspirate in a few minutes through a minimally invasive incision.
3DEO’s sinter-based Additive Manufacturing process eliminates the complexity and expense associated with post-processing operations, and waste is minimised. 3DEO is an Additive Manufacturing service bureau that uses an in-house patented process called Intelligent Layering. The technology is a fusion of Binder Jetting (BJT) and CNC machining that, the company claims, is faster, cheaper and capable of higher resolution than BJT alone.
AWARDS OF DISTINCTION
Automotive – Electric Vehicle
An Award of Distinction, in the Automotive – Electric Vehicle Category for metal AM components, was presented to Azoth3D for a seatbelt pillar adjustable guide loop for its customer, General Motors (Fig. 6). The part is used in the all-electric Cadillac Celestiq. The stainless steel part is produced by Binder Jetting (BJT) and sintered to 97% relative density. The surface of the part is semi-automatically polished prior to a multi-layer bright nickel-chrome plating operation to improve corrosion performance and provide a hard, scratch-resistant surface.
When Cadillac revealed its Celestiq vehicle, it marked a significant milestone on the path to achieving the company’s goal of creating an all-electric, ultra-luxury vehicle. John Roth, Vice President of Global Cadillac at General Motors, stated that the team at GM “rethought everything, resulting in the most technologically advanced vehicle in the brand’s history.”
The development of the vehicle resulted in numerous innovations, including 115 parts produced by Additive Manufacturing. This seatbelt pillar adjustable guide loop is GM’s first safety-related metal AM part.
“BJT allows the assembly of this part to be reduced from four separate components to one complete component, saving time and money. BJT makes this part optimised for targeted strength and weight performance. As GM’s first safety-related 3D printed metal part, this pushes the boundaries of what we can accomplish and facilitates Cadillac’s place at the forefront of innovation and luxury,” stated Roth.
Hardware/Appliances
An Award of Distinction in the Hardware/Appliances Category for metal AM components, was presented to APG-MIM, a Division of Nichols Portland Inc, for 150 mm pneumatic chuck jaws for work-holding during precision turning (Fig. 7). The parts are made using Moldjet technology from Tritone Technologies.
This sinter-based Additive Manufacturing process allows inner-lattice structures to be formed without having to de-powder, eliminating the risk of any powder entrapment in difficult-to-access areas. Moldjet processing generates little waste, and the wax used to form the in-process mould is recovered and can be reused for the next build.
Medical/Dental
In the Medical/Dental Category for metal AM components, an Award of Distinction was awarded to Azoth3D and its customer, Sur-Set Connect LLC, for electromedical connector components comprising a set screw, set screw block, and a spring housing (Fig. 8). These components mate with the associated catheter and provide mechanical feedback to the surgeon ensuring proper insertion of the catheter in the patient.
The very small size and complexity of these components led to depowdering issues when made using Binder Jetting. The problem was overcome by changing to Xjet’s material jetting (MJT) process. The parts are produced in 316L stainless steel with high resolution and good surface finish.
Contact
Metal Powder Industries Federation
105 College Road East
Princeton, NJ 08540
USA
