Established by the MPIF in 1980, the Center for Powder Metallurgy Technology (CPMT) has become a leading source of cooperative research and development and educational funding for the PM industry. Among the early drivers in promoting the concept of collaborative research, Arlan Clayton (retired former president of FloMet LLC) later donated a million dollars to CPMT to establish an endowment fund for R & D and educational programmes.
Dr William Jandeska (Midwest Metallurgical Ltd) and John Enquist (Burgess-Norton Mfg Co), programme manager and president, explained the workings of the centre.
Membership is open to interested companies for an annual subscription of US$1700. Members have the option to join and get involved in any of the ongoing projects. Membership has grown to more than forty companies, including end users such as the major automakers, parts manufacturers, powder producers, and equipment and service providers. Bona fide end-users are eligible to join CPMT at no cost, provided they have a representative attend at least one CPMT meeting each year. Member companies receive periodic research reports and participate in private technology/research conferences sponsored by CPMT, as well as discussions leading to a consensus on the activities of the Centre and its research projects. Each project has a task force and leader, and the work is carried out on a voluntary basis by the companies in the respective consortia.
Topics and programmes are chosen by the membership at meetings heldtwice a year. The aim is to issue timely progress reports ending with a concluding report on the results of the project, which can be a substantial document. (Reports are circulated only to CPMT member companies.) The projects do not get into proprietary research. Recent reports include topics such as PM lubrication studies, compaction technologies for single pressing to full density, and machinability studies. A long-term fatigue-testing programme is being conducted in collaboration with the MPIF Standards Committee to determine the strain-based fatigue properties of sintered materials. A report on results for hybrid low-alloy FLN2 PM steel in the as-sintered and heat-treated conditions has already been issued. Other ongoing research projects include advanced gear processing and tooling for high-tonnage (over 60 tsi) compaction.
Funding activities
After more than twenty years of activity in the support of post-secondary education and academic research in PM, CPMT is now administering three separate programmes. After Axel Madsen, co-founder of Allied Sinterings Inc, passed away in 1988, his family established the Axel Madsen Conference Grant programme to encourage and assist students to learn more about PM technology by attending the annual conferences such as PowderMet 2013. Since that time, there have been several grant recipients from both US and Canadian universities at most annual conferences. Many of these have gone on to have successful careers in the PM industry or academia.
In 1998, CPMT received a US$1 million donation from Arlan J Clayton to establish an endowment fund for R & D and education “to help promote the growth and success of the conventional PM industry.” As a result, the CPMT established the Clayton Family Scholarship for Studies in PM. Since 2000, CPMT has awarded scholarships to more than sixty students, totalling more than US$200,000. More recently, following the passing in 2009 of Howard I Sanderow, a well-known and very active figure in the industry, CPMT set up a scholarship in his memory. Starting in the academic year 2010/2011, the Howard I Sanderow Scholarship is now awarded annually at the APMI/MPIF conference.
Jandeska pointed out that CPMT is always open to new members, who will gain much more from its meetings and activities than the modest subscription suggests. An application form can be found on the CPMT website, which can be found at www.cpmtweb.org.
