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Message from the President
Sintering Technologies, Incorporated (STI) has
been supplying the highest quality, technologically advanced
powdered metal products in North America since 1989. STI’s customers
know they can rely on us to deliver the most innovative designs
while maintaining stringent tolerance requirements.
STI, while the dominant Valve Guide supplier in
North America, also manufactures Valve Seats and Structural parts
(timing pulleys, sprockets, and bearing caps) primarily for the
automotive industry. The remainder of our product line supports
motorcycle and lawn & garden applications.
STI is owned by
Hitachi Powdered Metals Co., LTD of Japan, the largest
powdered-metal company in Asia. As our parent company, Hitachi
supports all STI’s North American operations with materials
development, intricate tool design, and functional engine testing.
This ensures STI abilities to meet rigorous demands of the market.
In 2002, STI launched a Detroit-based joint
venture with German Bleistahl Produktions GMBH & Co. KG, a premier
manufacturer of Valve Seats. This venture (Bleistahl-STI North
America, Inc.) strengthens our position in the North American market
by supplying a package of Guides and Seats with the most advanced
materials and technology offered by both companies.
As president of STI, I’m excited about the
future of our company and the advances of powdered metallurgy that
will continue to drive our company on the road of excellence.
Sincerely,
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Jun Sakai
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President
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Powdered Metallurgy
Powdered metallurgy was
practiced long before ancient artisans learned to melt and cast
iron. The Egyptians made iron tools using P/M techniques from
at least 3000 B.C. The ancient Inca Indians also made jewelry
and artifacts from precious metal powders. The first modern
P/M products was the tungsten filament for electric light bulbs
developed in the early 1900's. This was followed by tungsten
carbide cutting tool material in the 1930's, automobile parts in the
'60s and '70s, aircraft turbine engine parts in the '80s, and parts
made by powder forging (P/F), metal injection molding (MIM) and warm
compacting in the '90s.
Powder Metallurgy, or P/M, is a
highly developed method of manufacturing reliable ferrous and
nonferrous products. Made by mixing elemental or alloy powders
and compacting the mixture in a die, the resultant shapes are then
sintered or heated in a controlled atmosphere furnace to bond the
particles metallurgically. Basically, a "chipless"
metalworking process, P/M typically uses more than 97% of the
starting raw material in the finished part. Because of this,
P/M is energy and materials conserving process.
The P/M process is cost
effective in producing simple or complex parts at, or, very close
to, final dimensions in production rates which can range from a few
hundred to several thousand parts per hour. As a result, only
minor machining is required. P/M parts also may be sized for
closer dimensional control and / or coined for both higher density
and strength.
Most P/M parts weigh less than
5 pounds (2.27kg), although parts weighing as much as 35 pounds
(15.89kg) can be fabricated in conventional P/M equipment.
Many of the early P/M parts, such as bushings and bearings, were
very simple shapes, as constrasted with the complex contours and
multiple levels, which are often produced economically today.
Advantages of the P/M process;
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Eliminates or minimizes machining
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Eliminates or minimizes scrap loses
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Maintains close dimensional tolerances
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Permits a wide variety of alloy systems
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Produces good surface finishes
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Provides material which may be heat-treated for
increased strength or increased wear resistance
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Provides controlled porosity for
self-lubrication or filtration
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Facilitates the manufacturing of complex or
unique shapes with other processes
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Offers long-term performance reliability in
critical applications
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Cost effective
For additional information about STI,
please send your inquiries to:
websales@sti-us.net
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