JPMA Awards
The JPMA Awards started in 1979, and is the 46th in 2024. The purpose of the JPMA Awards is a spread of the PM industry.
Categories of the JPMA Awards are as follows.
- ・New Products (New Design/New Materials/Process Development)
- ・New Powders
- ・Equipment Development
Since 2003, the Grand Prix has been given to an especially excellent product.
Effort Prize has been given to some products with the feature from among a left out of selection products.
2024
Development of Soft Magnetic Composite Cores with Double Pole Shoes to Enhance the Performance of Axial Flux Motors.
- SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
- The product was highly appreciated for breaking conventional compaction design by changing the compaction direction to achieve a complex thin-walled shape, as well as for its advanced compaction technology and the significant improvement in motor performance. It was also highly appreciated for halving manufacturing costs, establishing marketability, and SMC’s first adoption in Japan for a home appliance, which provides a foothold for the future penetration of SMC cores.
The product's adoption in home appliances which make up a large proportion of the motor market, is expected to lead to further market expansion of the PM industry.
Sintered bushings that realize high performance electric solenoid valves
- DIAMET CORPORATION
- The product was evaluated for its novelty as a bearing having soft magnetic property. The product was also highly evaluated for its contribution to the PM industry, as balancing sliding properties along with magnetic properties, and as optimizing the shape suited to powder metallurgy after repeated design-in with the customer, and as replacing a component made of ingot materials to of the powder metallurgy material.
As a component with potential for further application, it is expected to expand in the future.
Vane Pump Side Plate Development with Molded Body Processing
- FINE SINTER CO., LTD.
- The points appreciated are the fact that green machining of fine grooves is an extremely difficult technology, and that the ingenuity shown in optimizing the machining conditions. In addition, the green machining is recognized as one of the technologies that could potentially be important for the development of the PM industry, and for its potential to expand the scope of application of PM.
The green machining is expected to be applied to a variety of PM parts in the future.
Full automatic system development on magnetic particle inspection method for induction hardened products
- DIAMET CORPORATION
- The use of AI to automate the visual inspection of porous sintered products was highly praised, as it is clear that this was not an easy achievement, and that considerable effort had gone into making it happen. The achievement of the level of precision that the customer approved and the possibility of resolving the labor shortage are appreciated as the contribution to PM industry. This award is expected to trigger spreading the technology across PM industry.
Die steel powder with high printability for 3D-printing
- Daido Steel Co., Ltd.
- The alloy design, which enables large-scale mold and Co-free, was highly appreciated, taking into consideration not only the required characteristics of the product but also resource risks of the specific chemical substance and the conflict mineral. The market for 3D printers is expected to expand, and they are expected to contribute not only to PM industry but also to the mold industry, and to society as a whole by becoming carbon neutral through the omission of the quench hardening process.
High density iron-based mixed powder with improved flowability
- KOBE STEEL, LTD.
- The product was recognized for its ability to reduce interactions among powder particles, improved powder flowability and uniform fillability into dies without impeding the segregation-prevention effect, and for its high level of completion as an iron-based mixed powder that also ensures lubricity. The product was also recognized for its contribution to PM industry, due to its expectations for improving productivity in sintered part manufacturing, production track record and penetration.
Development of ECU Cooling Fan Bearings for ADAS
- Porite Corporation
- The novelty and originality of the various shapes used to retain oil, especially the high level of difficulty in designing the compaction tool that allows for the sharp inner chamfering, were appreciated. The oil retention performance, which is independent of the motor's posture, is expected to be widely adopted. The product is also expected to expand in the future as it will be installed in ECU cooling fans for ADAS, which are expected to become more widespread, and as a replacement for ball bearings.
Sintered Actuator Components from the Development of Pressed Component Caulking Technology
- FINE SINTER CO., LTD.
- The product was recognized for its combination of different materials, the plate and the sintered part, and for the unique ingenuity and design of the caulking joint. It is expected to be used not only in four-wheel drive parts, but also in applications such as connecting/disconnecting of power. The technology for joining different materials using plastic deforming processing was recognized as a reference example for PM industry with its contribution to the industry.