PARMATECH WINS 2013 MPIF AWARD OF DISTINCTION IN THE
HAND TOOL/RECREATION CATEGORY
Metal Injection Molding process saved up to 35 percent of the cost of machining the part
WARWICK, RI – ATW Companies, a leading provider of custom manufactured metal components and services, announces that its Parmatech Corporation subsidiary was a winner of the 2013 Powder Metallurgy Design Excellence Awards Competition, sponsored by the Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF). Parmatech earned an award of distinction in the hand tools/recreation category for an actuator used in a tool-less locking system that enables quick changing of a shotgun stock.
Parmatech accepted the award at the PowderMet2013, International Conference on Powder Metallurgy & Particulate Materials, held in Chicago, IL.
Made of a low alloy steel via the metal injection molding (MIM) process, the complex-design part required the use of stepped ejector pins on the sloped surface to allow for smooth ejection with no part damage.
The actuator has a 0.002 in. straightness requirement of the longer-than-1 in. shaft and a tight profile requirement of the curved and sloped cosmetic surface. The part is molded and sintered close to net shape to 7.48 g/cm³ density, and is coined in order to achieve repeatability. Choosing MIM over casting and machining the part provided a cost savings of 25–35 percent.