Keystone Powdered Metal Company

Keystone Investment Corporation

Peter G Imbrogno

Gary L Anderson

Kevin Brunner

John C Kosco

Kevin A Bauer

It has been unexpected found that the sound dampening characteristics of powder metal parts can be dramatically improved by incorporating coarse graphite into the part. This is beneficial in applications where parts to generate noise during operation, such as in gears, rotors and sprockets. Surprisingly, the incorporation of the coarse graphite into such parts does not significantly compromise the strength, durability, wear characteristics, or service life of the part. Such parts can also be manufactured to a high level of tolerance and with good uniformity. Such parts are comprised of a sintered powder metal composition which includes 0.1 weight percent to 5 weight percent of a coarse graphite having a particle size wherein at least at least 30 percent of the coarse graphite will not pass through a 325 mesh screen.

Acoustical dampening powder metal parts

It has been unexpected found that the machinability and corrosion resistance of powder metal parts can be greatly improved by incorporating calcium aluminoferrite powder, such as naturally occurring brownmillerite powder (Ca(Al,Fe)O), into the part. Improved machinability is of enormous value in manufacturing countless parts where it is necessary or desirable to machine the part after it has been sintered, such as is frequently the case with gears, rotors and sprockets. In the practice of this invention, calcium aluminoferrite powder can also be incorporated into parts which will not necessarily be machined for the sole purpose of attaining better corrosion resistance. Surprisingly, the incorporation of the calcium aluminoferrite powder into such parts does not significantly compromise the strength, durability, or wear characteristics of the part and generally improves the service life of the part by providing better corrosion resistance.

Powder metal parts with improved machinability

It has been found that duplex monolithic parts can be manufactured in high volume at low cost by using powder metal technology to mold and sinter an inner component of the part into an outer component of the part. This technique reduces the cost of manufacturing intricate metal products by taking advantage of the attributes of powder metal technology in making the inner component of the part. The outer component of the part can be wrought machined, stamped or forged, or made by double press double sinter or forging a powder metal component of the part. In any case, this technique can beneficially be used in making a wide variety of toroid parts, such as gears, clutches, sprags, bearing races, one-way diodes, and the like.

Process for manufacturing toroid parts

This invention is based upon the discovery that prototype parts having physical characteristics that mimic those of powder metal parts can be made by laser powder bed fusion techniques in cases where water or gas atomized powder metals are employed in the laser fusion procedure. More specifically, parts made utilizing water or gas atomized powder metals in such additive procedures, using unique printing parameters to create desired porosity levels within the component, have densities and microstructures that approximate those made using conventional powder metal manufacturing techniques. For instance, such parts can be made so as to have a density which is within the range of about 6.0 g/cc to 7.8 g/cc and which have physical properties that are equivalent to those of powder metal parts of comparable densities.

Method for making powder metal prototypes by 3-D printing

This invention discloses a method of manufacturing a desired metal part which comprises (1) providing an powder metal sinterbraze hard steel component and a wrought steel stamping component; (2) affixing the powder metal hard steel component and the wrought steel stamping component together with a brazing filler metal being alloyed at the interface between the powder metal hard steel component and the wrought steel stamping component; (3) sinter brazing the powder metal hard steel component and the wrought steel stamping component together to produce an in-process metal part; and (4) tempering the in-process metal part to produce the desired metal part.

Sinter brazing of powdered metal sinter hard matertial component to a wrought steel component

The present invention relates to a process for carburizing a metal article comprising: (1) heating the metal article to an elevated temperature, (2) coating the heated metal article with a graphite suspension to produce a graphite coated metal article, wherein the graphite suspension is comprised of graphite and an organic or inorganic liquid having a boiling point of at least 50&#xb0; F. (28&#xb0; C.) less than the elevated temperature to which the metal article is heated, (3) heat treating the graphite coated metal article under a non-oxidizing environment at a temperature which is sufficient to promote the diffusion of carbon into the metal structure of the article to produce a carburized metal article, and (4) cooling the carburized metal article to ambient temperature.

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Dubois, PA, United States of America

Peter G Imbrogno