Liz Nickels visited World PM2016 in Hamburg and got swept up in a general atmosphere of optimism and innovation – despite the clouds of Brexit on the horizon…
The powder metallurgy (PM) market has well and truly dusted itself off from the troubles it was experiencing ten years ago. This year's World PM2016, organized by the European Powder Metallurgy Association (EPMA) and held in Hamburg, Germany reflected, as ever, the spirit of the industry. The biggest event yet, it attracted over 400 oral and poster presentations and a strong attendance in excess of 1900 participants visiting over 200 stands covering companies from all parts of the PM supply chain.
I didn’t spot many new products or technologies at the show, but Höganäs’ powder metal gears caught my eye. Developed as part of its Powder Metal Gearbox Initiative (PMGI), the gears are suitable for high load carrying automotive transmission applications.
‘The 6-speed manual PM gear transmission we are showcasing at World PM2016 in Hamburg has been tested for durability, abuse and vibrations and the car it is installed in has now been running on the roads for more than 70,000 km without any issues,’ said Eckart Schneider, director, commercial development PM at Höganäs. ‘We see it as living proof of the amazing potential of PM technology in future transmission gear applications.’
This article appeared in the Jan/Feb issue of Metal Powder Report.
