In the world of powder metallurgy, “green parts” is the term normally applied to PM parts that have been pressed but not yet sintered. However, in an ever more environmentally conscious business environment, “green parts” might soon be used to refer to parts that contribute to energy saving or that are environmentally friendly. In that regard, MPP has several parts that fill the bill.
Our PM aluminum parts are a perfect example. Customers in a number of our served markets have significantly increased their use of PM aluminum in recent years not only because of its light weight (it is about a third as heavy as copper or steel), but also because of its recyclability. Aluminum is completely recyclable and, therefore, very energy-efficient. Most of MPP’s aluminum parts (such as our aluminum camshaft caps) find their application in the automotive industry, where their light weight saves thousands of barrels of oil every year. Also contributing to energy efficiency in the automotive industry are the new breed of hybrid and other fuel-saving transmissions, such as CVTs (continuously variable transmissions) and electric drives that have been introduced by all the major automotive manufacturers in the past few years. MPP supplies PM transmission components to a number of automotive OEMS.
The automotive industry is not the only one “going green”. In almost every industry, product designers list energy efficiency as one of their primary design goals. One way of achieving that is through the use of high-efficiency gear sets. MPP’s expertise in the design and manufacture of PM gears has allowed us to take advantage of this trend. (See article on facing page.) As the trend to “green parts” continues to accelerate, MPP is well positioned to participate.