AWARDS OF DISTINCTION

• An Award of Distinction in the Automotive—Engine Category was won by INDO-MIM Pvt. Ltd. for a MIM stainless steel fuel-inlet orifice used in fuel rail systems of diesel engines in Ford vehicles. The metal injection molded part is formed close to net shape except for bright 4 annealing to remove surface oxidation and enhance brazing. The previously machined part was redesigned for MIM in order to overcome the difficulty of producing tapered holes from opposite ends that are free of burrs at their meeting point. The two perfectly aligned holes are achieved using two slides.
• An Award of Distinction in the Medical/Dental Category went to INDO-MIM Pvt., Ltd., for two permalloy parts—a cup and a cover—that are assembled to form a hearing aid enclosure. Both MIM parts are fabricated to near-net shape, with the cup only having a sizing operation to bring its overall dimensions within specification and the cover finish undergoing glass-bead blasting. The extremely thin walls of the parts, as well as complex features such as holes, pips, and pips with holes, would make this application more difficult, thus more expensive, to produce using any other conventional method.
• An Award of Distinction in the Hand Tools/Recreation Category went to Indo-MIM Pvt. Ltd. for a MIM stainless steel passive plus body that goes into a safety assembly of mountaineering equipment. Together with a Kevlar rope and a carabiner to which it is assembled, the part helps to lock the rope in the event of a slip. Sophisticated shut-offs in the tooling were required in order to achieve the complex internal geometry, which is produced to net shape. A small sizing operation and heat treatment, as well as grit blasting for the part’s finish, are the only secondary operations

GRAND PRIZE AWARDS

• The Grand Prize in the Aerospace/Military/Firearms Category was won by Indo-MIM Pvt. Ltd. for three MIM stainless steel parts: a rear insert, a slide stop, and a trigger lever. Together, the three parts form an assembly that goes into the P10 9-mm pistol. All three parts have extremely complex geometries that would present great difficulties for machining operations to achieve.