The Power of Powder (PoP) Centre will be opened on 15 October by the world’s biggest powder metal producer, Höganäs AB.
“The new equipment and facilities at the centre will help us to better focus on meeting customer needs and to better understand end-user application performance requirements,” said Eckart Schneider, marketing manager, PM Components. “We will be able to simulate ‘real life’ customer process conditions to increase our overall knowledge of how powder material concepts, process conditions and component design can be successfully combined.”
A feature of the PoP Centre is a rapid prototyping facility that can produce ready-to-test components, cutting lead times and cost in the vital initial stages of an assessment. The Centre is equipped with a multi-level Dorst 800-ton CNC compaction press, and advanced Mazak lathe for machining tests. Final element analysis and computer aided design (FEA/CAD) capabilities and a Haas five-axis CNC machining centre can be hooked up to provide computer aided manufacturing (CAM) style rapid prototyping.
Combined with the company’s existing press/sintering capabilities and material and component testing facilities, and linking to leading PM equipment and tool manufacturers, the centre will aim to offer a comprehensive component and process development service.
Eckart Schneider: “It may surprise some people that we are offering such a range of services, but I would stress that we are not aiming to capture business in these areas. If we are to support customers more effectively we have to adopt a holistic approach. It means understanding more about design, compaction, sintering and machining.”