Announcement--New Manufacturing Process

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OCTOBER 15, 1998
Industry/Government Partnership
Leads to New Manufacturing Process
IAP Research, Inc. of Dayton, Ohio and Delphi Energy & Engine Management Systems of Anderson, Indiana, announced that their joint venture has produced an important new manufacturing process for making powder metal automotive parts.
"This represents a great success for the team," said John Barber, President of IAP Research. "This manufacturing technology definitely would not have advanced this far without the efforts of both companies."
IAP Research and Delphi, with the help of a three-year Advanced Technology Program (ATP) grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce, developed IAP's Dynamic Magnetic Compaction (DMC) process for compacting metal powders in an industrial environment.
Delphi will use DMC to manufacture an innovative new component for its engine management systems. Delphi selected DMC because the process produces parts that perform better than those made with conventional powder compaction processes.
"Three years ago, DMC was not a viable manufacturing process for Delphi to consider," said Tom Grady, Manager of Advanced Manufacturing at Delphi. "But during the project, DMC technology was integrated into our product and process requirements."
IAP developed the DMC process for industrial use while Delphi supplied the powder materials for DMC-made parts and tested part performance. "Now DMC is a process to which Delphi is committed," said Grady. With the ATP grant coming to an end, IAP and Delphi are making plans to continue the commercialization of the DMC process. The firms plan to complete development and have DMC on the factory floor in 1999.
The ATP grant provided the capital that IAP Research, a small business, needed to continue its part of the development work. According to Barber, "IAP was awarded a patent on DMC in 1995, but no one was willing to sponsor further development of the technology because it seemed too high-risk." Then William Jandeska, Manager, Powder Metal Technology, of General Motors Powertrain suggested IAP team with GM Powertrain and Zenith Sintered Products to apply for an ATP award. The team won an award later that year, and Delphi was soon invited to join the team.
Delphi, a part supplier to General Motors and other auto makers, funded its part of the work internally. "The ATP investment was critical to IAP's ability to develop the DMC process," said Barber. "Now that DMC is more mature and a less risky investment, private industry can fund the next stage of development.
The Advanced Technology Program sponsors high-risk/high-reward technology development efforts that improve the competitiveness of U.S. industry. The ATP is administered by NIST and funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

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