MINNEAPOLIS — FMS Corporation received the grand prize in the lawn and garden/off-highway category presented at PowderMet2012, the International Conference on Powder Metallurgy and Particulate Materials. It was awarded for a powder metallurgy (PM) steel gear race used in the OnTrac2 GPS-assisted steering system made for Novariant Corporation, Fremont, Calif. The system positions agricultural planting and harvesting equipment to more accurately perform tillage, spraying and spreading, reducing skips and overlaps as well as fuel consumption.

The awards competition is sponsored by the Metal Powder Industries Federation, an international trade association for the metal powder producing and consuming industries. The parts recognized in the competition are outstanding examples of PM's precision, performance, complexity, economy, innovation and sustainability.

"We are honored to have received a grand prize in the competition," says John Sweet, president, FMS Corporation. "Our customer, Novariant Corporation, realized a 60 percent cost savings over the previous machining method for this part. In addition, the PM design reduced the part count from 24 to six parts. This decreases lead times and makes assembly and disassembly in the field easier."

Molded to a density of 6.7 g/cm3, the part used in the OnTrac2 GPS-assisted steering system has an ultimate tensile strength of 60,000 psi, minimum yield strength of 50,000 psi, 125,000 psi transverse rupture strength and 23,000 psi fatigue limit. The complex net-shape design features 112 gear teeth and 16 assembly holes.

For information about FMS Corporation and custom powder metal components, please call +1 952-888-7976 or e-mail info@fmscorporation.com.

Powder metallurgy is an automated metalworking process that forms metal powder into precision components for use in engines and transmissions, business machines, hardware, biomedical and other products. Powdered metal typically uses more than 97 percent of the starting raw material in the finished part, producing very little scrap metal; therefore is environmentally friendly compared to other processing methods. More than 800 million pounds of powder metallurgy parts are made annually in North America.

Novariant, Inc.
Novariant is a leading provider of precision steering solutions for the agriculture market. Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Fremont, California, Novariant's technology helps growers optimize yield while reducing input costs of farming. For more information, please visit our website www.gpsfarm.com.

FMS Corporation
Minneapolis-based FMS Corporation has been family-owned and operated since 1946. The company's Powder Metal Division provides customized powder metal manufacturing services, from parts design and alloy development, through production and assembly and custom prototyping. FMS works with materials including low-alloy steels, stainless steels, brass, bronze, soft-magnetic materials and exotic alloys. The company specializes in low- to medium-volume parts that would be difficult to produce using traditional metal-forming methods. Irregularly shaped parts, such as gears, cams and those requiring keyways, can be manufactured economically and consistently with powder metal processes.

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FMS Corporation
Powder Metal Division
8635 Harriet Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN
55420-2786
+1 952-888-7976
info@fmscorporation.com