MPIF announces winners of 2025 Powder Metallurgy Design Excellence Awards
June 17, 2025
The winners of the 2025 Powder Metallurgy Design Excellence Awards competition, sponsored by the Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF), have been announced at PowderMet2025 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
This year’s winners are said to demonstrate the best examples of diversities in the Powder Metallurgy industry, showcasing high-performance components capable of meeting ever critical requirements.
Also presented at the event were the earlier-announced Distinguished Service Awards and the APMI Fellows for 2025.
The following are prizes presented in the Conventional PM category. The winners in the Metal Additive Manufacturing category can be seen here, and winners of the Metal Injection Moulding here:
Grand Prize Awards
Automotive—Engine Category for Conventional PM
Winner: DSB Technologies – Janesville, Wisconsin, USA
Component: Stainless-steel flange that connects a urea injector to the exhaust system of a diesel engine
Machining operations are utilised to add additional features that are not possible during compaction such as undercuts, a steep cone, and a threaded hole. The part experiences elevated temperatures and is exposed to urea, which requires the part to have high corrosion resistance. The part is welded onto the exhaust system, necessitating good weldability of the material used to make the part.
Automotive—Transmission Category for Conventional PM
Winner: PMG Holding GmbH – Füssen, Germany
Component: Sliding sleeve used in a synchroniser for a dedicated hybrid transmission
The parts are produced net-shape except for the external fork groove. The back tapers and ball pockets in the internal spline are radially pressed using a patented surface densification process. Full density is achieved on the surface of the critical areas of the part. The components are made in a fully automated flow line that includes heat treatment.
The PM components replaced a machined wrought steel part.
Automotive Electric Vehicle Category for Conventional PM
Winner: GKN Sinter Metals – a GKN Powder Metallurgy company
Component: Electric selectable one-way-clutch wedge washer that enables seamless gear changes and provides regenerative braking capabilities
The wedge washer is made using a sinter-brazing process to join two compacted PM parts. The application requires tight tolerancing on mating faces and outside diameter dimensions, achieved by a machining operation. Using a selectable one-way-clutch offers reduced shift times and consistency. In hybrid transmissions, it provides a significant improvement in fuel economy without the negatives associated with friction-clutch systems.
Lawn & Garden Category for Conventional PM
Winner: Metco Industries, Inc – St Marys, Pennsylvania
Component: Throttle pedal for off-highway construction equipment
The part is compacted conventionally to near-net shape using a hydraulic press with fill compensation and selective ejection. Secondary machining is performed to ensure a tight sliding fit of a bushing, a snap-ring retention feature, and for the tab on the face of the post. The final operation is zinc electroplating with a clear chromate conversion for corrosion protection.
Previous designs used stampings and castings that were machined and assembled.
Awards of Distinction
Automotive—Engine Category for Conventional PM
Winner: Nichols Portland Inc, NPI–Ridgway Division – Portland, Oregon
Component: Mounting boss for sensors used in automotive emission control systems
The bosses are made from stainless steels, chosen for their combined attributes of weldability and adequate corrosion resistance. They are designed to be permanently welded in place, allowing quick assembly-line installation and long-term serviceability of a growing number of critical exhaust gas sensors.
Machining these parts from wrought bar stock would result in a significant amount of wasted material compared with the PM process.
Automotive—Transmission Category for Conventional PM
Winner: GKN Sinter Metals
Component: Oil pump assembly used in a new cost-effective dual-clutch transmission
This is the first time an electric motor has been fully integrated into a hybrid electric vehicle. The assembly comprises upper and lower covers, a gerotor set, a pump core and a copper steel bushing. The initial part design called for a die-cast aluminium part that required extensive machining.
A redesigned PM part replaced the aluminium cover with significant advantages, including improved pump performance, reduced NVH scattering, enhanced sustainability, and cost reduction.
Automotive—Transmission Category for Conventional PM
Winner: Burgess-Norton Mfg Co – Geneva, Illinois
Component: Reaction block and cam plate used in a mechanical locking rear differential
This part is at the centre of the assembly and sets the working distance between the four gears that are in constant contact with the four sides of the part. The cam plate’s angled design allows it to wedge against the side gear, creating a locking action when the flyweight system detects a significant speed difference between the wheels. The three detent protrusions prevent the cam plate from ramping until a predetermined torque is applied to the gear teeth.
Automotive—Chassis Category for Conventional PM
Winner: Metco Industries, Inc.
Component: Damping piston in an automotive shock absorber system
The compaction process requires several independent press functions to compact the damping piston to both the correct dimensions and mass. Special handling applications, secondary machining, and a specialty lathe and fixture are utilised throughout the process. With multi-level high precision PM compacting press capabilities, the parts can be made to near-net-shape. Due to the complexity, it would not be economical to produce using alternative manufacturing methods.
Automotive—Chassis Category for Conventional PM
Winner: Phoenix Sintered Metals LLC – Brockway, Pennsylvania – and its customer ZF Chassis Solutions
Component: Anti-rotational sleeve used in an electronic braking application
Maintaining part integrity through the compaction and ejection process is critical due to the thin cross-section where the flange joins the legs. The anti-rotation sleeve must meet tight tolerances.
PM technology was chosen as the route that could pass all the testing requirements in an accelerated timeline.
Lawn & Garden/Off-Highway Category for Conventional PM
Winner: MPP – Noblesville, Indiana
Component: Clutch shoe used in a centrifugal clutch used in a chain saw assembly
The offset features on the flange present compaction difficulties: potential for cracks, issues with density distribution, and tool life. These were overcome using an innovative compaction tool set that included two upper punches, four lower punches, two core pins, and a compensated fill die with a powder sweep.
PM was selected because the complexity of the required geometry makes other manufacturing methods unfeasible and uneconomic, especially at the higher annual volumes needed.
