MPIF recently completed its 60^th annual Basic PM Short Course in State College, Pennsylvania, where over 60 attendees were provided an overview of the powder metallurgy (PM) industry, covering a broad introduction to PM history, current practices, and a look at the future of the industry.  Presentations ranged from powder production for press & sinter, MIM, and metal AM materials; to forming, compaction, and other consolidation methods; to sintering and furnace design; to secondary operations; and everything in between to ensure excellent products.

The World PM2024 International Powder Metallurgy Congress & Exhibition September 2 “Early Bird” registration deadline is fast approaching! Organized by the Japan Powder Metallurgy Association (JPMA) and Japan Society of Powder and Powder Metallurgy (JSPM), World PM2024 will be held in Yokohama, Japan, from October 13-17, 2024.

Recipients of the 2023 Distinguished Service to Powder Metallurgy Award.

The Metal Powder Industries Federation is seeking nominations for the MPIF Distinguished Service to Powder Metallurgy Award. This award recognizes those who devoted the major part of their working careers to one or more segments of PM, and whose long-term contributions and achievements deserve special recognition for outstanding and distinguished service.

The National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) and America Makes have announced the recipients of the $6 million Powder Alloy Development for Additive Manufacturing (PADAM) project.

Supported by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the PADAM project, announced in August last year, aims to improve AM for aerospace and defense applications by focusing on data-driven approaches to novel AM metal materials. It focuses on advancing high-temperature metals and is divided into two areas: $3.6 million for High-Temperature Refractory Alloys and $2.4 million for High-Temperature Nickel-Based Superalloys.

The MPIF Technical Board has critically evaluated and completed its review of the highly qualified manuscripts that were presented at the PowderMet2024 and AMPM2024 conferences in Pittsburgh for the prestigious Outstanding Technical Paper Awards.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak ridge, Tennessee, has released a new set of metal additive manufacturing (AM) data that industry and researchers can use to evaluate and improve the quality of AM components. The data can significantly boost efforts to verify the quality of the parts using only information gathered during AM, without requiring expensive and time-consuming post-production analysis.

AM part and its digital sample.

An AM part is sliced into small pieces, each of which is tested for tensile strength. A digital copy of the same AM part is analyzed by an AI model to locate anomalies within its structure.

MPIF has announced the release of another self-study course on the Fundamental Principles of Processing Tungsten and Other Refractory Materials. Instructed by Dr. Randall German, FAPMI and Dr. John Johnson, FAPMI, the course is intended to provide a solid framework of tungsten, refractory, heavy alloy, W-Cu composites, and cemented carbide powder production, shaping and consolidation options, and sintering. 

The course contains twelve (12) pre-recorded segments, averaging an hour each, and will be open to the registrant for two months from the date of purchase.

The winners in the 2024 Powder Metallurgy (PM) Design Excellence Awards competition, sponsored by the Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF), demonstrate outstanding examples of PM’s diversity and ability to meet critical requirements. From electric vehicles to medical implants, once again, parts fabricators have demonstrated PM’s versatility and unique ability to challenge competing technologies. These award-winning components use PM’s flexibility to push forward new concepts and process controls to demonstrate the inexhaustible range of PM’s capabilities.

Watch the Videos:     Grand Prizes     Awards of Distinction

After more than 30 years away, the powder metallurgy (PM) industry reconvened in Pittsburgh for PowderMet2024 and AMPM2024 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Returning to pre-COVID registration levels, 886 delegates from 25 countries took part in technical presentations, special interest programs, educational tutorials, and the largest PM exhibit in the Americas. The trade exhibition featured companies highlighting the latest raw materials, equipment, and services. The annual poster display was robust thanks to 45 students that received conference grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Center for Powder Metallurgy Technology (CPMT).

Todd Leonhardt

Todd Leonhardt, passed away on May 29. Todd was director of research and development and chief metallurgist for Rhenium Alloys Inc. An expert on high-temperature refractory metals, Todd spent over 25 years working with rhenium and rhenium-containing alloys. Todd was active in MPIF and served as President of the Refractory Metals Association (RMA) from 2014–2018, receiving the MPIF Distinguished Service to Powder Metallurgy in 2023.

Left to right: Tom Corbett receives prize from APMI president Rob Hayes

APMI International is pleased to announce the winner of the PowderMet2024 conference registration giveaway! Tom Corbett of JIT Tooling was the lucky winner of a Full Conference registration package. Tom was entered into the drawing through his support of the industry by attending the majority of the West Penn Chapter technical sessions this season. 

Be sure and congratulate Tom when you see him at the conference!