The global PM industry was in full force as 1,400 individuals visited the WORLD PM2024 Congress in Yokohama, Japan, to “Make a better world with PM.”  The biennial World Congress included presentations on the latest PM technologies, suppliers introducing the latest products and technologies, and networking events to welcome the international community.

Minnesota-based Niron Magnetics has opened a commercial pilot plant to develop “Clean Earth Magnets” that are developed from iron and nitrogen. The company says the magnets have the potential to be used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, audio products, and defense applications. 

GKN Powder Metallurgy has developed a new generation of Porous Transport Layers (PTL) for Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolysis. The solution is designed to revolutionize hydrogen production by increasing efficiency while reducing overall environmental impact.

As the demand for large-scale metal parts continues to rise across sectors such as clean energy, aerospace, and defense, the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is spearheading research, supported by the Metal Powder Industries Federation and the Electric Power Research Institute, to re-establish U.S. manufacturing dominance in this area. Through advancements in powder metallurgy-hot isostatic pressing (PM-HIP), paired with additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, ORNL is offering what it considers a high-precision alternative to traditional casting and forging methods.

The 2024 Excellence in Metallography Award has been selected, and this year's winning paper is "Impact Resistance of a Free Sintering Low Alloy Steel Produced by Powder Bed Fusion Using a Laser Beam”, by Thomas F. Murphy, FAPMI, Christopher T. Schade, FAPMI, & Kerri M. Horvay, Hoeganaes Corporation. The paper was selected from among the highly qualified manuscripts that were presented at the PowderMet2024/AMPM2024 conference in Pittsburgh and critically evaluated for the prestigious award. The paper is available for download on the APMI website. It is also included in Advances in Additive Manufacturing with Powder Metallurgy—2024 and published in the fall issue of the International Journal of Powder Metallurgy. The authors will be officially recognized during PowderMet2025 in Phoenix, Arizona, June 15–18, 2025.