A fire at a factory of one of the world’s leading auto chip makers has added to the troubles of car makers that already have slashed production because of a semiconductor shortage. The fire left a swath of charred equipment in the factory owned by a subsidiary of Renesas Electronics Corp. in Hitachinaka, northeast of Tokyo. The company said it would take at least a month to restart the damaged operations.

Renesas said heat from an electrical problem inside a single piece of equipment caused the fire and contaminated clean rooms needed to make semiconductors. It said two-thirds of the chips made at the fire-affected factory were automotive chips. Renesas’s chief executive, Hidetoshi Shibata, said Sunday the impact on global chip supplies would be significant. 

According to Reuters, the company has about 30% of market share for microcontroller unit chips used in cars. Renesas says its customers, mostly auto parts suppliers, will begin to see chip shipments plummet in about a month. Global automakers like Honda, Toyota and Nissan are all assessing the ramifications, and one analyst said they would be “facing a difficult situation.”

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Clemson University has established an $11 million cooperative agreement with the U.S. Combat Capabilities Development Command of the Army Research Laboratory, known as DEVCOM ARL, to create new technologies that will speed up the development of new 3D printed components for the U.S. military’s ground vehicles, air platforms, and munitions.

Clemson University project leaders Srikanth Pilla, Fadi Abdeljawad and Gang Li (left to right) as well as Shunyu Liu and Rahul Rai (not pictured) will drive research from the Clemson Composites Center in Greenville. Photo via Clemson University.

COBRA^® Golf, a leader in golf club innovation, has unveiled its new KING Copper Iron Series, introducing a stunning new copper finish in its popular player’s irons. Manufactured using metal injection molding (MIM) for precise shaping and exceptionally soft feel, each clubhead is also fitted with a Tungsten toe weight for pure shots with added stability on off-center hits. The soft MIM material, combined with a TPU insert (thermoplastic polyurethane) positioned behind the clubface, damps vibrations for a soft yet solid feel at impact that rivals traditional forged irons, even though they are actually MIM processed. The rich new copper finish sets these clubs apart from a visual standpoint.

Researchers at Penn State University, College of Engineering, University Park, Pennsylvania, have received a grant of $434,000 from the United States Army to develop Additive Manufacturing techniques for high-strength steels and alloys. Although these materials are currently used in many defense applications, such as personal armor, armored vehicles, specialized facilities for blast & ballistic protection and ship hulls, they can be difficult to manufacture utilizing traditional processes.

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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. The 2021 Fellow Award recipient will receive elevation to Fellow status at PowderMet2021, during the Opening General Session on Monday, June 21, in Orlando. The 2021 recipient is Cynthia Freeby, Regional Sales Manager, Ametek Specialty Metal Products.   

3D Systems, Rock Hill, South Carolina, is involved in two projects for the Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Army Research Laboratory. The first is the creation of the world’s largest powder-metal 3D printer. The other focuses on topical optimization of additive manufacturing to improve the Army's 3D-printed products.

A team of interdisciplinary researchers, the Smart Fusion Material Research Cluster, at Wichita State University, Witchita, Kansas, is working to create sustainable Additive Manufacturing practices that reduce waste.
The project is one of the awardees of Wichita State University’s Convergence Sciences Initiative, an effort to bring the strengths of both faculty and students from a range of disciplines together, giving them support to develop research programs which drive the diversity and growth of the Kansas economy, while addressing global challenges. Winners of the Convergence Sciences awards will be given $300,000 over three years.
 

The COVID-19 resistant material is made from copper, silver and tungsten and was produced using Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) Additive Manufacturing (Courtesy the University of Wolverhampton)

The University of Wolverhampton’s Additive Manufacturing Functional Materials (AMFM) research group, Wolverhampton, UK, has developed an antiviral material made from copper, silver and tungsten which can be additively manufactured and reportedly kills the coronavirus (COVID-19).

AMFM explains that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for materials and surfaces that can kill or suppress the virus to help reduce airborne and surface-based transmission. With expertise in additively manufacturing antimicrobial biomaterials, the research group refocused their efforts to investigate antiviral materials that could combat COVID-19.

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The 2021 North American conference on powder metallurgy (PM) and particulate materials, will be offered in a hybrid format, with delegates electing to be in-person or presenting or attending virtually.  One registration fee provides entrance to PowderMet2021 (PowderMet2021.org) and the co-located Additive Manufacturing with Powder Metallurgy (AMPM2021.org)  and International Conference on Tungsten, Refractory & Hardmaterials (Tungsten2021.org) conferences.