The predominant market for Press/Sinter structural Powder Metallurgy parts is the automotive sector. On average across all geographical regions, around 80% of all Powder Metallurgy structural components are for automotive applications.
Around 75% of these automotive applications are components for transmissions (automatic and manual) and for engines.
Transmission applications include:
- Synchroniser system parts
- Gear shift components
- Clutch hubs
- Planetary gear carriers
- Turbine hubs
- Clutch and pocket plates
Engine parts include:
- Pulleys, sprockets and hubs, particularly those associated with the engine timing belt system
- Valve seat inserts
- Valve guides
- PM lobes for assembled camshafts
- Balancer gears
- Main bearing caps
- Engine manifold actuators
- Camshaft bearing caps
- Engine management sensor rings
Powder Metallurgy parts also find application in a range of other automotive systems:
- Oil pumps – particularly gears
- Shock absorbers – piston rod guides, piston valves, end valves
- Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) – sensor rings
- Exhaust systems – flanges, oxygen sensor bosses
- Chassis components
- Variable Valve Timing systems
- Continuously Variable Transmissions
- Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) systems
- Turbochargers