Parmatech Wins 2021 MPIF Powder Metallurgy Design Excellence Award

Ambitious Additive Manufacturing Project a Success

Orlando, Florida. (June 21, 2021) – Parmatech Corporation, an ATW company, was presented with the prestigious Powder Metallurgy Design Excellence Award in the Hand Tools/Recreation Category for Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) for a 316L stainless steel putter head and hosel, made for Cobra Puma Golf’s KING Supersport-35 golf putter.

The competition has been a tradition within the industry for the past 57 years, as the Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF) recognizes industry leaders for their achievements. MPIF is a federation of six trade associations representing various aspects of powder metallurgy (PM), metal powders, and particulate materials, with a mission to advance the interests of the metal-powders industries.

“We’re honored to receive this award and be recognized by the MPIF for our accomplishments, helping Cobra become the first OEM to commercialize a 3D-printed golf club,” says Rob Hall, Parmatech President. “The putter design benefitted from several of the advantages of HP’s Metal Jet binder-jet process. Our engineers worked closely with Cobra to strategically shape the putter to optimize weight distribution, stiffness, and performance of the putter.”

“Being able to manufacture samples of design iterations quickly was key to the success of the project,” adds Joshua Carroll, Sr. Project Engineer and Additive NPI Manager at Parmatech. “We produced 57 different design iterations to get the final putter design just right1—focusing on the moment of inertia and forgiveness and feel of the putter, along with giving the putter a good sound when it strikes the ball.”

In the past, it wouldn’t be practical or cost-effective to produce that many prototypes during development. An added advantage of 3D printing is that it provides the ability to produce multiple designs concepts in a single print run.

“Parmatech was the ideal partner to help us bring this ambitious project to market, with its expertise in powdered metallurgy combined with knowledge of the HP Metal Jet process. This helped streamline development and facilitated the production process creating high-quality parts. The team at Parmatech was integral in the development, and production phases with the putter and instrumental in making it a success for Cobra Puma Golf,” says Ryan Roach, Sr. Principal Innovation Engineer at Cobra Puma Golf.

“Cobra designs and sells some of the best-performing clubs in the market,” adds David Hotter, ATW Companies Sr. Director of Business Development & Marketing. “Consumers expect the clubs to not only perform, but they have to look good as well, and that’s exactly what we achieved using binder-jet processing.”

Additive manufacturing is the only way to produce the unique design of the KING Supersport-35 Putter. The printed design requires only a minimal amount of stock removal to achieve the final cosmetic requirements. The same part made by conventional machining methods would have created a significant amount of raw material waste and still not achieved the lattice-design features.

“Binder-jet printing has expanded our capabilities in powder-metal processing, and we are excited about some of the other applications we are currently developing,” continues Hotter. “We challenge engineers and designers to imagine what’s possible and not be constrained by conventional design practices for metal components. The creative approaches now available with additive manufacturing technologies make for exciting times in manufacturing.”

About Parmatech:

Based in Petaluma, California, Parmatech, an ATW Company, has been a leading supplier of custom manufactured Metal Injection Molding (MIM) components since 1973. Parmatech is also a leading manufacturer of 3D printed metal (3DPM) components. These complex components, used in automotive, medical, firearms, telecommunications, consumer, industrial, computers, and electronics applications, are optimal in situations where other manufacturing technologies would be insufficient or too expensive.

ATW Companies, a fifth generation privately held holding company founded in 1886, provides precision metal tubing and fabricated metal components for a variety of industries and diverse technologies, including aerospace, appliance, automotive, chemical, electronic, frequency control, instrumentation, jewelry and silversmith, medical, and superconductor technologies. Among its many product capabilities are waveguide tubing, machined parts, sidewall frames, medical components, precision metal tubing, and stamped metal parts.

Parmatech strives to offer the best solution package to their customers as defined by exceeding their expectations. Solutions include identifying prototyping needs, rapid prototyping, alloy development, and metrology assistance.

Find the MPIF Powder Metallurgy Design Excellence Award Online:

 

About the MPIF Powder Metallurgy Design Excellence Award:

Since 1964, MPIF has invited Powder Metallurgy (PM) parts fabricators to submit components for their Design Excellence Award competition that showcases the advantages of PM. A distinguished panel of industry judges awards Grand Prizes and Awards of Distinction to those powder metallurgy parts deemed worthy in the categories of Automotive (Engine, Transmission, Chassis), Aerospace/Military/Firearms, Lawn & Garden/Off-Highway (includes ATVs), Hand Tool/Recreation (includes motorcycles), Industrial Motors/Controls & Hydraulics, Hardware/Appliances, Medical/Dental, and Electronic/Electrical. Applicants are encouraged to submit in multiple categories for more chances to win.

 


1Parmatech works with customers to optimize manufacturability of part designs (DFM). Its customers have the final design authority.

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