APMI International’s most prestigious award recognizes APMI members for their significant contributions to the goals, purpose, and mission of the organization as well as for a high level of expertise in the technology, practice, or business of the industry. Dean Howard, PMT, North American Höganäs Co., the 2022 Fellow Award recipient, will receive elevation to Fellow status at PowderMet2022 / AMPM2022, June 12-15, in Portland, OR.

Listed from left to right:  Andrew Wright, APMI West Penn Chairman; Tyler Cuneo, APMI West Penn Vice Chairman; Bernard North, Inovar Communications; Brent Matheson, APMI West Penn Secretary; Steve Reed, APMI West Penn Treasurer

The 2022 International Conference on Injection Molding of Metals, Ceramics and Carbides will be offered in a hybrid format, with delegates electing to be in-person or attending virtually.  As a bonus, all technical session registrants will be eligible to attend the PIM Tutorial.  

The November 2021 International Journal of Molecular Sciences online article “3D Printed Cobalt-Chromium-Molybdenum Porous Superalloy with Superior Antiviral Activity” reviews research investigating the novel use of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) to additive manufacture (AM) a porous Cobalt-Chromium-Molybdenum (Co-Cr-Mo) superalloy with potent antiviral activity (100% viral inactivation in 30 min). The Co-Cr-Mo material, commonly used in industrial AM medical and aerospace applications, exhibited superior antiviral properties, outperforming common antiviral metals such as silver and copper.

Development of the metal AM Alpha satellite. (Courtesy Fleet Space Technologies)

Fleet Space Technologies, Beverley, Australia, announced the planned development of a ‘constellation’ of metal AM satellites within the year. Aided by a recent $26.4 million Series B investment, the startup has expanded the scope of its dedicated R&D to create the Alpha satellite. The company believes this to be the world’s first entirely additively manufactured satellite, and it integrates Fleet’s advanced beamforming technology and patented antennas.

Final Proceedings from PowderMet2021—Advances in Powder Metallurgy & Particulate Materials, AMPM2021—Advances in Additive Manufacturing with Powder Metallurgy, and the Tungsten2021 Advances in Tungsten, Refractory & Hardmaterials

The new Fitbit Luxe™, a fitness and wellness tracker from Fitbit, San Francisco, California, features a metal injection molding (MIM) stainless steel case. MIM was selected due to its precision and ability to provide “jewelry-like” appearance. The company believes the design is one of its most fashionable and comfortable devices yet.

The 2021 Excellence in Metallography Award has been selected, and this year's winning paper is "Artificial Intelligence Applied to the Development and Characterization of PM Components" by Simon Gélinas*, Gabrielle Laramée and Carl Blais, Laval University. The paper was selected from among the highly qualified manuscripts that were presented at the PowderMet2021 conference in Orlando and critically evaluated for the prestigious award. The paper is available for download on the APMI website. It is also included in Advances in Powder Metallurgy & Particulate Materials—2021. The authors will be officially recognized during PowderMet2022 in Portland, Oregon, June 12–15, 2022.

The 2022 Edition of Standard Test Methods for Metal Powders and Powder Metallurgy Products is now available for purchase! The most current versions of these standards, which are used in the manufacture of both metal powder and powder metallurgy products, are required by Quality Assurance programs in order to maintain full compliance.  

Desktop Metal, Burlington, Massachusetts, opened a new in-house manufacturing facility in Massachusetts that will more than triple the final assembly space currently dedicated to the Production System metal 3D-printing platform. The facility is part of a strategic plan to accelerate the production ramp of Desktop Metal’s flagship Production System P-50 printer, for which the company is engaged in component procurement and assembly of initial builds targeted for shipment in the fourth quarter of 2021.

GKN Additive successfully adapted and enhanced DP600-like material – a widely used low-alloy, dual-phase steel in the automotive industry – for additive manufacturing (AM). The development will enable diverse designs and applications in automotive and other industrial sectors.