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Korean PM firm set to face the 1990s
PM
TECHNOLOGY
K o r e a n PM firm set to f a c e the 1 990s he Korean Powder Metallurgy Co, based near Seoul, Korea, has gone from strength to strength in the last 20 years. The c o m p a n y claims to have been the first manufacturer in Korea to produce oil-impregnated bearings, in 1967, and since t h e n it h a s b e e n p r o d u c i n g bearings and sintered carbide machine parts. In this period the firm has increased its production facilities on four occasions. Today t h e s e consist of presses ranging from between 3 to 750 tons, as well as sintering furnaces and a heat t r e a t m e n t p l a n t all situated on a 10 120 m e (2.5 acre) site. P r o d u c t i o n c a p a c i t y is
T
K e y role for PM in civil a i r c r a f t engine project A
Powder metallurgy (PM) alloy, Udimet 720, is to play a key role in a s e c r e t advanced civil aircraft engine core d e m o n s t r a t o r programme, which aims to cut specific fuel c o n s u m p t i o n by over 10%. The ACCORD d e m o n s t r a t o r is being developed by Rolls Royce and funded by the UK Ministry of Defence. According to Flight International, R o l l s Royce could have the first civil applic a t i o n s for ACCORD on t h e market by the late 1990s. Udimet 720, the PM material
14 MPR April 1991
TRENDS
around 250 tons a month, says the company. There are 260 employees. Korea Powder Metallurgy's principal products are for the automotive industry: m o t o r ve hicle c o m p o n e n t s (70%), im pregnated bearings (15%) and general machine p a r t s (15%); a n d i n c l u d e e n g i n e pulleys, valve-seats, t r a n s m i s s i o n ssrn c h r o n i z e r hubs, o i l - p u m p rotors, gears of all types and v a n e - p u m p components. The firm also makes parts for the electronics industry, for industrial machinery and also ferrous and non-ferrous impregnated bearings.
Parts diversification It says t h a t its technical resources to undertake the design, production and testing of products, have enabled it to develop such a diverse p r o d u c t base. In order to further its aim of p a r t s diversification and to keep pace with the rapid rate of development achieved by c u s t o -
u s e d in t h e ACCORD h i g h p r e s s u r e t u r b i n e disk, is a n i c k e l - b a s e d superalloy, containing around 18% cobalt and 15% c h r o m i u m . Molybdenum, a l u m i n i u m a n d t i t a n i u m are also present. ACCORD aims to hone furt h e r the benefits of early PM superalloy e x p e r i e n c e by dem o n s t r a t i n g high s t r e n g t h s at acceptable cost. PM processing using Udimet 720 p e r m i t s nearn e t - s h a p e p a r t s to be fabricated cost effectively, lowering manufacturing cost by reducing the weight of critical raw materials r e q u i r e d and t h e n u m b e r of secondary machining operations. An additional advantage is t h e tighter control of the microstructure within the p a r t a n d compositional control of the alloys used, allowed by PM. The ultimate tensile s t r e n g t h of the material is in a similar range to o t h e r PM superalloys, I n c o n e l IN-1000 a n d Rene 95. Both m a t e r i a l s are used in several engines, includ-
mers, the company set up a subsidiary powder metallurgy research laboratory in 1988. Shortly afterwards, the comp a n y .joined forces with t h e J a p a n e s e Hitachi Powder Metallurgy Co in a technical collaboration which it says has truly p r e p a r e d it to face the age of high technology. Korean Powder Metallurgy claims its success is partly a result of its specialized metal m o u l d p r o c e s s i n g p l a n t for items ranging from bushes to high density gears. Order times have been greatly reduced as well as labour requirements. The company says its current d e v e l o p m e n t effort lies in perfecting quality control by installing purpose-built testing e q u i p m e n t for such major items as valve-seats. Korean Powder Metallurgy's efforts have been rewarded by an I n d u s t r y Medal from t h e Korea government in 1989, and designation by government and b a n k s as b o t h a ' s p e c i a l i s t factor-aZ and a 'promising enterprise'.
ing the General Electric T700 and F404. An 'improved' high p r e s s u r e c o m p r e s s o r is e x p e c t e d to generate an overall pressure ratio of more t h a n 40 c o m p a r e d with 29.4 in the International Aero Engines V2500, 29.7 in the Pratt and Whitney PW4000, 35 in the Rolls-Royce Trent and around 40 in the General Electric GEg0. The ACCORD p r o g r a m m e is aimed at developing technology for a future gas generator for a range of civil applications from a turbofan to a future supersonic power plant. Rolls Royce b e g a n w o r k on ACCORD in 1989, but was awarded a con tract by the MoD to conduct Phase One at the end of 1990. The MoD says t h a t the programme is aimed at completing a detailed study which will bring t o g e t h e r t h e technologies re quired to specify an entirely n e w ' c o r e engine. Rolls Royce has n o t c o m m e n t e d on t h e programme.
TECHNOLOGY
K o r e a n PM firm set to f a c e the 1 990s he Korean Powder Metallurgy Co, based near Seoul, Korea, has gone from strength to strength in the last 20 years. The c o m p a n y claims to have been the first manufacturer in Korea to produce oil-impregnated bearings, in 1967, and since t h e n it h a s b e e n p r o d u c i n g bearings and sintered carbide machine parts. In this period the firm has increased its production facilities on four occasions. Today t h e s e consist of presses ranging from between 3 to 750 tons, as well as sintering furnaces and a heat t r e a t m e n t p l a n t all situated on a 10 120 m e (2.5 acre) site. P r o d u c t i o n c a p a c i t y is
T
K e y role for PM in civil a i r c r a f t engine project A
Powder metallurgy (PM) alloy, Udimet 720, is to play a key role in a s e c r e t advanced civil aircraft engine core d e m o n s t r a t o r programme, which aims to cut specific fuel c o n s u m p t i o n by over 10%. The ACCORD d e m o n s t r a t o r is being developed by Rolls Royce and funded by the UK Ministry of Defence. According to Flight International, R o l l s Royce could have the first civil applic a t i o n s for ACCORD on t h e market by the late 1990s. Udimet 720, the PM material
14 MPR April 1991
TRENDS
around 250 tons a month, says the company. There are 260 employees. Korea Powder Metallurgy's principal products are for the automotive industry: m o t o r ve hicle c o m p o n e n t s (70%), im pregnated bearings (15%) and general machine p a r t s (15%); a n d i n c l u d e e n g i n e pulleys, valve-seats, t r a n s m i s s i o n ssrn c h r o n i z e r hubs, o i l - p u m p rotors, gears of all types and v a n e - p u m p components. The firm also makes parts for the electronics industry, for industrial machinery and also ferrous and non-ferrous impregnated bearings.
Parts diversification It says t h a t its technical resources to undertake the design, production and testing of products, have enabled it to develop such a diverse p r o d u c t base. In order to further its aim of p a r t s diversification and to keep pace with the rapid rate of development achieved by c u s t o -
u s e d in t h e ACCORD h i g h p r e s s u r e t u r b i n e disk, is a n i c k e l - b a s e d superalloy, containing around 18% cobalt and 15% c h r o m i u m . Molybdenum, a l u m i n i u m a n d t i t a n i u m are also present. ACCORD aims to hone furt h e r the benefits of early PM superalloy e x p e r i e n c e by dem o n s t r a t i n g high s t r e n g t h s at acceptable cost. PM processing using Udimet 720 p e r m i t s nearn e t - s h a p e p a r t s to be fabricated cost effectively, lowering manufacturing cost by reducing the weight of critical raw materials r e q u i r e d and t h e n u m b e r of secondary machining operations. An additional advantage is t h e tighter control of the microstructure within the p a r t a n d compositional control of the alloys used, allowed by PM. The ultimate tensile s t r e n g t h of the material is in a similar range to o t h e r PM superalloys, I n c o n e l IN-1000 a n d Rene 95. Both m a t e r i a l s are used in several engines, includ-
mers, the company set up a subsidiary powder metallurgy research laboratory in 1988. Shortly afterwards, the comp a n y .joined forces with t h e J a p a n e s e Hitachi Powder Metallurgy Co in a technical collaboration which it says has truly p r e p a r e d it to face the age of high technology. Korean Powder Metallurgy claims its success is partly a result of its specialized metal m o u l d p r o c e s s i n g p l a n t for items ranging from bushes to high density gears. Order times have been greatly reduced as well as labour requirements. The company says its current d e v e l o p m e n t effort lies in perfecting quality control by installing purpose-built testing e q u i p m e n t for such major items as valve-seats. Korean Powder Metallurgy's efforts have been rewarded by an I n d u s t r y Medal from t h e Korea government in 1989, and designation by government and b a n k s as b o t h a ' s p e c i a l i s t factor-aZ and a 'promising enterprise'.
ing the General Electric T700 and F404. An 'improved' high p r e s s u r e c o m p r e s s o r is e x p e c t e d to generate an overall pressure ratio of more t h a n 40 c o m p a r e d with 29.4 in the International Aero Engines V2500, 29.7 in the Pratt and Whitney PW4000, 35 in the Rolls-Royce Trent and around 40 in the General Electric GEg0. The ACCORD p r o g r a m m e is aimed at developing technology for a future gas generator for a range of civil applications from a turbofan to a future supersonic power plant. Rolls Royce b e g a n w o r k on ACCORD in 1989, but was awarded a con tract by the MoD to conduct Phase One at the end of 1990. The MoD says t h a t the programme is aimed at completing a detailed study which will bring t o g e t h e r t h e technologies re quired to specify an entirely n e w ' c o r e engine. Rolls Royce has n o t c o m m e n t e d on t h e programme.