Project development Time:November 2021

Industry:Door smart lock parts

Material used: 316L& MIM4605 material

Qty: 100,000pcs mim parts

This is a part that one of our Polish customers needs to customize. Polish customer is one of our regular customer for 5 years. He ordered us 8 MIM parts at least here,including lock bolt, lock cylinder,door and window parts . This is a new project and need test many times.

Case background

The customer is very influential in the field of smart locks. And this component. This product is also a key project in the customer's factory. It will have special requirements on structure and function.

First problem is that delivered samples (as well as the first ones from beginning of 2022) can not stand shear force as on scheme below. We need to obtain at least 6kN, while best results do not reach 5kN.

The other issue is that marked elements of the part are being bent and they crack while this process, which leads to part failure way below 6kN. We requires no crack but could accept bent.

Solution

In March 2022, after fully studying the needs of users, we designed a 3D model,try to modify the tooling radius. After sintering some samples, we still used two materials 316L and 17-4PH to test by required tensile strength. It is really the chamfer of the product that affects and successfully solves the product's problems.

Why we still use two alternative material to test them?

Firstly, 316 material has no hardness but have better toughness and ductility. The product will not break, but will not come back after deformation because no rebound property.

Secondly, we sintered samples with 17-4PH with about 15-25HRC and some with heat treatment 35-40HRC. As a result, the sample with 35-40HRC have good effect and will cracked at 8.5KN. It fully meet customer’s needs.

Thanks to our engineers' sufficient experience in product development and familiarity with materials, we could find more methods to solve difficult problem.

This will help customers alot, save money, time. Based on the win-win cooperation between the two sides, we now maintain a good relationship and develop more