GKN Sinter Metals of Auburn Hills, MI won a grand prize in an annual powdermetal design competition for a carrier and one-way rocker clutch assembly madefor Ford Motor.

Designed for powder metal (PM), the assembly uses fewer componentscompared to alternate designs and manufacturing methods, reducing the mass ofthe assembly, improving fuel efficiency without sacrificing performance.

Used in the new Ford Super Duty TorqShift six-speed automatictransmission, the hybrid assembly contains five powder steel parts weighing atotal of 17 lb. The sinter-brazed subassembly consists of four multi-level PMparts, of which three parts (cage, spider, and carrier plate) are made to adensity of 6.8 g/cm³.

The rocker plate is sinter-hardened during the sinter- brazing phaseand has a density of 7.0 g/cm³. The assembly also has adoubled-pressed and double-sintered cam plate made to 7.3 g/cm³density with an ultimate tensile strength of 170,000 psi and a mean temperedhardness exceeding 40 HRC.

To form the parts and maintain precision tolerances, special toolingwas developed and used with unconventional press motions. Ford subjected theassembly to ultimate torsional torque loading at a minimum of 8,000 ft-lb andfatigue testing at a minimum of 299,000 cycles at 1,730 ft-lb.

"The application provided an estimated 20 percent cost savings over competitiveprocesses," according to a statement from the MPIF.

GKN Sinter Metals won another grand prize in the automotive chassis categoryfor a differential bearing adjuster made for American Axle & Manufacturingand used in the GMT 900 rear differential on GM Tahoe and Yukon models.

Other winners are:

A porous bronze filter made by Capstan California, Carson, CA. forChase Filters and Components received the grand prize in the aerospace/militarycategory.

Awards of Distinction