Powder Metal Conversion Results in Significant Cost Reduction with Design Optimization. Let Us Help...
Is Your Part Making the Grade? A Powder Metal Conversion May Be Your Solution. See How this PM Hinge Conversion Earned Top Marks
A key supplier to the household appliance market was looking for a solution to improve their appliance hinge, which is used in a roller assembly application.
This original hinge was designed as a sub-assembly requiring stacking, aligning, and securing three stampings together in order to achieve the required thickness of 0.360 of an inch. This process presented challenges that required extra time and secondary operations. However, choosing to convert to powder metal made all the difference!
Customer Review:
"We designed an appliance mechanism component where the laminated (stacked) stamping approach was not working adequately. The PM part that Atlas helped us convert provided superior structure, functionality and far more repeatable performance. They were also able to support our testing and validation process by providing production-intent pucks out of the actual material that we then machined to fine-tune the final shape before we tooled up the part. Atlas is a like-minded supplier that we have grown to rely on for many components."
The advantages of the powder metallurgy process over the original process are:
The hinge conversion is pressed to net shape, meaning the holes, mounting features, and edge details are all completed in a single stroke. As a result, the conversion has a cleaner, streamlined look compared to the original hinge application.
The hinge conversion offers a naturally smooth edge detail on its cam form, which creates an optimal running surface for its finished application. The cam form of the original hinge required machining to smooth the rough edges created by the stamping process.
The hinge conversion hole features are held to tighter tolerances and uniform shapes. The process of stacking stampings in the original hinge assembly process presented misalignment issues, creating inconsistent hole features.
PM Conversion Process Earns Top Marks
As a result of this conversion, we were able to help our customer solve several issues:
- PM improved part cost by eliminating assembly and machining operations
- The net shape form created a smooth-running surface for the hinge in the roller assembly.
- The integration of additional features improved installation time for completing the finished assembly.
If you are ready to assess your part for conversion potential or if you want to learn more about PM conversions, contact Joe Pfingstler, Technical Sales, at (814) 371-4800 or JoeP@atlaspressed.com. You can also request a custom PM Course focused on conversions HERE.
Unlock the potential of powder metal conversion for your part and harness the benefits it can bring to your business. Contact us today and embark on a journey towards improved efficiency, performance, and cost savings.
