Philipsburg, PA July 3, 2024 – APP has recently demonstrated how technologies like Metal Injection Molding (MIM) are driving continuous improvement and innovation this year in the 2024 Powder Metallurgy Design Excellence Awards Competition, sponsored by the Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF). Advanced Powder Products, Inc. (APP) won a Grand Prize in the Medical/Dental category for a metal injection molded Screw Chuck used in spinal surgery.

MIM is widely used in the medical industry currently for its ability to produce small, complex geometries that would not be financially feasible to be manufactured any other way. As the use of MIM in the medical industry grows, design engineers push the capabilities of MIM with more and more complex designs. APP was given the opportunity to showcase MIM technology on an Orthopedic Screw Chuck concept that would push the limits of MIM and provide the company with an affordable solution to their innovative product.

Initially the Screw Chuck was presented as a one-piece design, symmetric about its center axis that needed to break into two pieces in its end use. Through extensive design modifications for metal injection molding, both parties were able to produce a plausible tooling solution which was to manufacture half of the part and laser-weld the two halves together to create the final assembly.

• Material: MIM 17-4PH SS
• Density: 7.5 g/cm3
• Heat-treated Hardness: 38-42 HRC
• Finish: Passivation

For a full review of the Grand Prize Award Winning Screw Chuck. Visit https://youtu.be/yGoyWmCV0fU

MPIF has sponsored the PM Design Excellence competition since 1965. The competition invites powder metallurgy manufacturers to submit components that showcase the advantages and test the possibilities of the metal forming technologies. Fabricators may enter eight categories, including Aerospace/Military/Firearms, Automotive, Medical/Dental, and Hand Tool/Recreation. A panel of industry experts evaluates each component using a set of strict criteria. Grand Prizes and Awards of Distinction are presented in each category to those parts that prove superior.