The Inside Story: How Our Laboratories Assure Quality And Save You Time And Money

Both CompactAlloy^TM (P/M) and InjectAlloy® (MIM) production begin with powders that can include iron, stainless steel, nickel, molybdenum, copper, graphite and a wide range of other specialized materials, including binders and lubricants. When we custom-mix these quality ingredients, we're starting them on a complex and precisely defined path. The result will be alloys that meet the most exacting specified performance requirements and the highest quality standards.

Assuring quality and meeting challenging specifications demand intensive experimentation and evaluation. We've chosen not to trust those vital operations to outside laboratories. Instead, we've invested in the highest-caliber mechanical and electronic testing equipment. We have the hardness and strength testing tools you would expect. But you might be surprised by our complete magnetic testing capabilities, our energy-dispersive/wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectrometers, our scanning electron microscope, and much more. Our complete, on-site laboratory resources let us test and analyze materials in every way necessary, down to the molecular level.

But even more important is our expert staff. When you work with us, you'll be working with men and women who have both the educational credentials and in-depth real world problem-solving experience to assure the absolute best results.

Our scientific capability is completely devoted to our powder metal and MIM technologies - focused in a way few outside laboratories could be. That focus has developed and sustained a rare level of expertise. It has enabled us to find new alloys and other inventive solutions for our customers. In short, we offer you a powerful scientific resource dedicated to improving quality and performance while reducing cost.

Quality Every Step of the Way

For both P/M and MIM part production, quality begins with raw powder materials. We buy the best, produced primarily in the United States, but also from companies with advanced capabilities in Sweden, Germany, and Japan. We've developed very close relationships with our suppliers - relationships that help us specify and purchase only the materials we know will produce the best results.
Using those quality raw materials, we do 100% of our own powder blending. And we make 100% of our own feedstock for MIM production. We test and save samples from every batch, carefully recording results. Those samples are saved for a minimum of three years, so that we can always perform further analysis at any time and for any reason. We can always be certain of our raw materials, blends and feedstock. That's one of the key reasons you can be sure of the finished product.

The attention to detail and precise quality control permeates every step of our manufacturing process. So do continuous testing and meticulous record keeping. These procedures track and verify every phase of our precision manufacturing. And of course, we scrutinize and test finished parts, working closely with our customers to be sure of absolute satisfaction.

Whether you're ordering the simplest part or the part others may have described as "impossible" - you'll find that we know how to assure the quality you're looking for.

Unique Production Equipment Assures Quality and High Capacity

We have a large variety of powder metal presses and computer-controlled injection molding machines, all built to our specifications. That gives exceptional range in the types of parts we can produce. But it's our exclusive, custom-built sintering furnaces that really set us apart. Sintering is the most crucial element in both powder metal and MIM production. Our furnaces feature up to 11 precisely controlled temperature zones. And we have furnaces especially built to optimize results for both powder metal and MIM production. Most powder metal and MIM parts producers use belt-fed or batch furnaces. Belt-fed furnaces limit temperatures and, therefore, the available performance properties. Batch furnaces are usually output-limited. Our pusher furnaces mean we offer you both the superior performance characteristics of high-temperature sintering and high production capability.

We're a major producer of powder metal parts. We're among the biggest MIM manufacturers too--in fact, we're one of the world's biggest users of carbonyl iron powder for MIM part manufacturing. Our unique production resources mean we can meet both your quantity needs and your production schedules.