Top Ten Companies in Powder Metallurgy

• Publication date: December 2012
• Report size: 91 pages

INTRODUCTION Powder metallurgy is the science of fabrication of components with metal powders as their starting materials. This is in contrast to conventional metallurgy, which involves processes such as melting and pouring, casting, drawing, forming, cutting, machining, welding, extrusion, forging and other related processes. In conventional metallurgy, the metal or alloy is always in a continuous physical form, either solid or l...

INTRODUCTION

Powder metallurgy is the science of fabrication of components with metal powders as their starting materials. This is in contrast to conventional metallurgy, which involves processes such as melting and pouring, casting, drawing, forming, cutting, machining, welding, extrusion, forging and other related processes. In conventional metallurgy, the metal or alloy is always in a continuous physical form, either solid or liquid, and is made into various shapes and articles using the above-mentioned processes. In the case of powder metallurgy, these processes are replaced by new and easier methods by which to process powders, such as blending, compacting and sintering.One of the major drawbacks of conventional metallurgy is the phase rule, which dictates what ratios of specific elements can coexist in solid or liquid phase together in one continuum. This drawback is completely eliminated when the metal powders are handled through the powder metallurgical process.The processes in powder metallurgy mimic those in ceramics, in which powders of different oxides are typically blended and then sintered together to form the final product, combining the desired chemistry, shape and characteristics. Several unique materials and shapes are thus possible under this manufacturing route, and the technology is routinely finding newer niche applications for its products.Powder metallurgy is sometimes referred to as the chipless process, meaning there is nearly zero waste of material. This is due to the absence of machining operations compared to conventional metallurgical methods mentioned earlier. Statistics show that 97% or higher of the input material is retained in the final part. This alone saves the industry huge amounts of money as all conventional metal processing methods result in double-digit waste of material between incoming material and final product.This focused report profiles the top 10 companies of this industry globally, and provides comments on several transformative changes that are happening in the powder metallurgy industry. The industry as such has a wide range of companies as players—including metal powder manufacturers, part manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, end users and several unique supporting suppliers.The industry is well developed and mature, and has several global communities, groups, associations and similar organizations that support, campaign for, lobby and market the needs and services of the industry. These range from local clusters to international organizations of various sizes and membership counts. Overall, the industry is estimated to have more than 5,000 companies, not to mention the several thousands of less-established upcoming players.The powder metallurgy industry caters to a wide range of industries including automotive, aerospace, medical and dental. In the recent years there have also been several new applications for powdered metals such as conductive inks, paints and electronics. This report will explore these application areas in detail.

STUDY GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

This document is a specialty report related to the BCC Research report AVM007K Powder Metallurgy: Technologies and Global Markets, authored by Andrew McWilliams. That report provides a global review of the industry with trends, regulatory aspects and other macro-level factors. In that report, numerous companies are listed in brief along with their region of operation and products. The goal of this document is to provide a more in-depth look at the top-tier companies in the industry and to take a closer look at how the products from these companies are addressed in the market, thus providing an explorative financial and technical review to the readers.The objectives include identifying companies that are considered the leaders and what technologies or management contributions make them leaders. There are certain market drivers and some constraints to both the companies and to the evolving technology they seek to dominate. There is a desire to ascertain whether these companies will be able to meet the continuing demand for their products by proprietary technology, strategy alliances, superior marketing or other sought-after advantages.Most of the information presented in this report is based on that available from annual reports, various regulatory filings, company website, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and other public sources, and the author hereby acknowledges the same. Additional information was sourced from industry experts and people with a close understanding of the industry dynamics.

INTENDED AUDIENCE

This report is intended especially for customers and suppliers of powder metal technologies and products, and others with a need to understand the status and dynamics of the market for these products. This report is largely nontechnical in nature and coverage. It is concerned less with theory and jargon than with what works, who the major global players are, what technological trends are seen in the market place and which intellectual properties and regulations are shaping the market.As such, the report’s content should be highly useful to executive management personnel and marketing and financial analysts due to the organized presentation of data. It is not written specifically for scientists and technologists, although its findings concern the market for their work, which should interest them and provide them with a clearer perspective as to how their work can influence the future of the industry. Since this is a vast field, there are a multitude of established research organizations and universities as well as industrial organizations and associations active in this area; these details are briefly covered in this report.

SCOPE

The scope of this report is focused on a select 10 companies in the powder metals industry. This is in many ways a selected due diligence of the key companies and drivers in the PM marketplace. An attempt has been made to include top companies in metal powder manufacturing as well as those companies that use powder metal to fabricate components. Also included are descriptions of several up-and-coming global players—companies that appear to have the potential to become major contributors in the PM market.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vijay Subramanian has a PhD in Materials Science and has extensive experience in the field of materials, including an in-depth understanding of metal powders and its applications. He worked for more than a decade in the automotive industry in the U.S. and later in India, and owns multiple U.S. patents in the fields of coatings and friction materials. He has been authoring reports for BCC Research since 2012.

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

This report identifies:
- This report identifies the top 10 major manufacturers of powder metal and other related materials, such as ceramics and nanopowders, special alloys and metal matrix composites, and companies that make parts and components for automotive products, industrial and tolling equipment, recreation and hobby items, appliances, business machines and other products.
- It is written with the intent of covering two major segments of the powder metallurgy industry: (1) those companies that manufacture metal powders, and (2) those who use the metal powders to fabricate components.
- Also included are descriptions of several up-and-coming global players—companies that appear to have the potential to become major contributors in the PM market.

Metal Manufacturing Industry in the United States

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1
STUDY GOAL AND OBJECTIVES 1
INTENDED AUDIENCE 2
SCOPE 2
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 2
RELATED BCC REPORTS 2
BCC ONLINE SERVICES 3
DISCLAIMER 3

CHAPTER 2 OVERVIEW OF THE POWDER METAL MARKET 5
METAL POWDER MANUFACTURERS 5
PM COMPONENT FABRICATORS 5
NATURE, SIZE AND IMPACT OF PM INDUSTRY 6
TABLE 1 NUMBER OF PM COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS BY COUNTRY 7
TABLE 2 METAL POWDER INDUSTRY GROUPS AND MEMBERSHIP COUNT 8
TABLE 3 WEBSITES OF PM INDUSTRY GROUPS 9

CHAPTER 3 THE PM GLOBAL MARKET AND MAJOR PLAYERS 11
TABLE 4 TOP 10 COMPANIES IN PM INDUSTRY ($ MILLIONS) 11
TABLE 5 UP-AND-COMING GLOBAL PLAYERS IN THE PM INDUSTRY 12
TABLE 6 SELECTED PM COMPANIES IN CHINA 13
TABLE 7 SELECTED PM COMPANIES IN INDIA 14
TABLE 8 SELECTED PM COMPANIES IN JAPAN 14
TABLE 9 SELECTED PM COMPANIES IN KOREA 15
TABLE 10 SELECTED PM COMPANIES IN TAIWAN 15

CHAPTER 4 THE TOP 10 COMPANIES IN THE PM INDUSTRY 17
BASF 17
COMPANY INFORMATION 17
POWDER METALLURGY PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGIES 17
MEMBERS OF SUPERVISORY BOARD 19
BOARD OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS 19
FINANCIALS 19
TABLE 11 BASF CHEMICALS FINANCIALS AND SEGMENT REVENUE SHARES, 2008–2011 (€
MILLIONS) 20
TABLE 12 BASF INORGANIC SUBSEGMENT REVENUES BY REGION, 2008–2011 (%) 20
TABLE 13 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO BASF IN POWDER METALLURGY-RELATED
TECHNOLOGY SINCE 1976 20
CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY CORP. 21
COMPANY INFORMATION 21
HISTORY OF THE COMPANY 23
SUBSIDIARY LIST 24
COMPANY LOCATIONS 24
PRODUCTS LIST 25
POWDER PRODUCTS AND APPLICATIONS 25
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP 26
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 27
MANAGEMENT TEAM 27
FINANCIALS 28
TABLE 14 CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY COMPANY FINANCIALS, 2008–2012 ($ MILLIONS) 28
TABLE 15 CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY COMPANY REVENUES BY MARKET, 2010–2012 ($
MILLIONS) 28
TABLE 16 CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY COMPANY REVENUES BY MATERIAL TYPE, 2010–2012
($ MILLIONS) 29
TABLE 17 CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY SEGMENT FINANCIALS, 2010-2012 ($ MILLIONS) 29
TABLE 18 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO CARPENTER TECHNOLOGIES SINCE 1976 29
FUKUDA METAL FOIL AND POWDER CO. 31
COMPANY INFORMATION 31
PROCESS CAPABILITIES: POWDERS 32
APPLICATION MARKETS AND INDUSTRIES : POWDERS 33
COMPANY HISTORY 33
FINANCIALS 37
TABLE 19 FUKUDA COMPANYWIDE FINANCIALS, 2008–2011 (¥ MILLIONS) 37
TABLE 20 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO FUKUDA METAL FOIL AND POWDER COMPANY
SINCE 1976 37
GKN PLC 38
COMPANY INFORMATION 39
COMPANY LOCATIONS: HOEGANAES 40
COMPANY LOCATIONS: GKN SINTER METALS 40
COMPANY LOCATIONS: GKN SINTER METALS SALES OFFICES 40
COMPANY HISTORY 41
MANAGEMENT: BOARD OF DIRECTORS 41
FINANCIALS 42
TABLE 21 GKN POWDER METALLURGY DIVISION FINANCIALS, 2007–2011 (GBP
MILLIONS/%/NO.) 42
TABLE 22 GKN POWDER METALLURGY DIVISION SALES BY SEGMENT AND REGION, 2010
AND 2011 (GBP MILLIONS) 42
TABLE 23 GKN POWDER METALLURGY REVENUE BY CUSTOMER, 2010 AND 2011 (% OF
TOTAL REVENUES) 42
TABLE 24 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO GKN PM DIVISION SINCE 1976 43
H.C. STARCK 46
COMPANY INFORMATION 46
H.C. STARCK LOCATIONS AND ORGANIZATION 47
MANAGEMENT: EXECUTIVE BOARD 47
MANAGEMENT: SUPERVISORY BOARD 47
FINANCIALS 48
TABLE 25 H.C. STARCK COMPANY FINANCIALS FROM BAYER REPORTS, 2002–2006 (€
MILLIONS) 48
TABLE 26 H.C. STARCK COMPANY FINANCIALS RECENT YEARS, 2009–2011 (€ MILLIONS) 49
TABLE 27 H.C. STARCK BALANCE SHEET FROM BAYER REPORTS, 2006 (€ MILLIONS) 49
TABLE 28 H.C. STARCK: NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES BY LOCATION, 2011 50
TABLE 29 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO H.C. STARCK SINCE 1976 50
HITACHI POWDER METALS CO. LTD. 56
COMPANY INFORMATION 56
COMPANY LOCATIONS 58
SUBSIDIARIES AND AFFILIATES 58
COMPANY HISTORY 58
PRODUCTS AND DESCRIPTIONS 59
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 60
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS 61
FINANCIALS 61
TABLE 30 HITACHI CHEMICALS COMPANY FINANCIALS, 2006–2011 (¥ BILLIONS) 62
TABLE 31 HITACHI METAL POWDER FINANCIALS PRIOR TO MERGER WITH HITACHI
CHEMICALS, 2005–2007 (¥ MILLIONS) 62
TABLE 32 HITACHI CHEMICALS FINANCIALS FOR THE SEGMENT INCLUDING METAL
POWDER BUSINESS, 2008–2011 (¥ BILLIONS) 63
TABLE 33 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO HITACHI PM SINCE 1976 63
HOGANAS AB 66
COMPANY INFORMATION 66
COMPANY SUBSIDIARIES 67
COMPANY HISTORY 68
MANAGEMENT 69
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 69
FINANCIALS 70
TABLE 34 HOGANAS COMPANY FINANCIALS, 2007-2011 (SEK MILLIONS) 70
TABLE 35 HOGANAS COMPANY SALES BY REGION, 2008-2011 (SEK MILLIONS) 70
TABLE 36 HOGANAS COMPANY SALES BY REPORTING SEGMENTS, 2008-2011 (%) 70
TABLE 37 HOGANAS COMPANY'S AVERAGE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES BY COUNTRY, 2011 71
TABLE 38 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO HOGANAS AB SINCE 1976 (SEK MILLIONS) 71
METALDYNE LLC 74
COMPANY INFORMATION 74
COMPANY AND OWNERSHIP HISTORY 75
Founding and Early History into the 1940s 75
Masco in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s 75
Reorganizing in the 1980s and 1990s 76
Metaldyne History 76
Asahi Ownership 76
Bankruptcy 76
Post Bankruptcy to Late 2012 77
COMPANY LOCATIONS 77
MANAGEMENT: METALDYNE 78
FINANCIALS 78
TABLE 39 METALDYNE FINANCIALS REPORTED THROUGH ASAHI TEC, 2006-2008 (Â¥
MILLIONS) 79
TABLE 40 METALDYNE FINANCIALS BEFORE ASAHI ACQUISITION, 2004 AND 2005 (¥
MILLIONS) 79
TABLE 41 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO MASCOTECH SINCE 1976 79
TABLE 42 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO METALDYNE SINCE 1976 81
TABLE 43 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO ASAHI TEC SINCE 1976 82
MIBA AG 82
COMPANY INFORMATION 83
COMPANY HISTORY 83
COMPANY LOCATIONS 84
MANAGEMENT BOARD 85
FINANCIALS 86
TABLE 44 MIBA AG COMPANY FINANCIALS, 2008â??2011 (& EURO; MILLIONS) 86
TABLE 45 MIBA AG COMPANY REVENUE SHARES BY SEGMENT AND GEOGRAPHIC REGION,
2009–2011 (%) 86
TABLE 46 MIBA AG EMPLOYEE COUNT BY COUNTRY AND DIVISION, 2009–2011 87
TABLE 47 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO MIBA AG SINCE 1976 87
RIO-TINTO 89
COMPANY INFORMATION 90
HISTORY OF QIT AND QUEBEC METAL POWDERS 90
PRODUCTS AND APPLICATIONS 91
H2OMET TECHNOLOGY: A NEW APPLICATION 91
MANAGEMENT 92
FINANCIALS 92
TABLE 48 RIO TINTO DIAMONDS AND MINERALS DIVISION FINANCIALS, 2009–2011 ($
MILLIONS) 93
TABLE 49 RIO TINTO’S SHARE OF MINERAL RESERVES AND PRODUCTION VOLUMES
(MILLIONS OF TONNES) 93
TABLE 50 RIO TINTOS: NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WITHIN DIAMONDS AND MINERALS
DIVISION, 2009–2011 94
TABLE 51 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO RIO TINTO (QMP) SINCE 1976 94




LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 1 NUMBER OF PM COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS BY COUNTRY 7
TABLE 2 METAL POWDER INDUSTRY GROUPS AND MEMBERSHIP COUNT 8
TABLE 3 WEBSITES OF PM INDUSTRY GROUPS 9
TABLE 4 TOP 10 COMPANIES IN PM INDUSTRY ($ MILLIONS) 11
TABLE 5 UP-AND-COMING GLOBAL PLAYERS IN THE PM INDUSTRY 12
TABLE 6 SELECTED PM COMPANIES IN CHINA 13
TABLE 7 SELECTED PM COMPANIES IN INDIA 14
TABLE 8 SELECTED PM COMPANIES IN JAPAN 14
TABLE 9 SELECTED PM COMPANIES IN KOREA 15
TABLE 10 SELECTED PM COMPANIES IN TAIWAN 15
TABLE 11 BASF CHEMICALS FINANCIALS AND SEGMENT REVENUE SHARES, 2008–2011 (€
MILLIONS) 20
TABLE 12 BASF INORGANIC SUBSEGMENT REVENUES BY REGION, 2008–2011 (%) 20
TABLE 13 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO BASF IN POWDER METALLURGY-RELATED
TECHNOLOGY SINCE 1976 20
TABLE 14 CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY COMPANY FINANCIALS, 2008–2012 ($ MILLIONS) 28
TABLE 15 CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY COMPANY REVENUES BY MARKET, 2010–2012 ($
MILLIONS) 28
TABLE 16 CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY COMPANY REVENUES BY MATERIAL TYPE, 2010–2012
($ MILLIONS) 29
TABLE 17 CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY SEGMENT FINANCIALS, 2010-2012 ($ MILLIONS) 29
TABLE 18 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO CARPENTER TECHNOLOGIES SINCE 1976 29
TABLE 19 FUKUDA COMPANYWIDE FINANCIALS, 2008–2011 (¥ MILLIONS) 37
TABLE 20 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO FUKUDA METAL FOIL AND POWDER COMPANY SINCE
1976 37
TABLE 21 GKN POWDER METALLURGY DIVISION FINANCIALS, 2007–2011 (GBP
MILLIONS/%/NO.) 42
TABLE 22 GKN POWDER METALLURGY DIVISION SALES BY SEGMENT AND REGION, 2010
AND 2011 (GBP MILLIONS) 42
TABLE 23 GKN POWDER METALLURGY REVENUE BY CUSTOMER, 2010 AND 2011 (% OF
TOTAL REVENUES) 42
TABLE 24 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO GKN PM DIVISION SINCE 1976 43
TABLE 25 H.C. STARCK COMPANY FINANCIALS FROM BAYER REPORTS, 2002–2006 (€
MILLIONS) 48
TABLE 26 H.C. STARCK COMPANY FINANCIALS RECENT YEARS, 2009–2011 (€ MILLIONS) 49
TABLE 27 H.C. STARCK BALANCE SHEET FROM BAYER REPORTS, 2006 (€ MILLIONS) 49
TABLE 28 H.C. STARCK: NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES BY LOCATION, 2011 50
TABLE 29 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO H.C. STARCK SINCE 1976 50
TABLE 30 HITACHI CHEMICALS COMPANY FINANCIALS, 2006–2011 (¥ BILLIONS) 62
TABLE 31 HITACHI METAL POWDER FINANCIALS PRIOR TO MERGER WITH HITACHI
CHEMICALS, 2005–2007 (¥ MILLIONS) 62
TABLE 32 HITACHI CHEMICALS FINANCIALS FOR THE SEGMENT INCLUDING METAL
POWDER BUSINESS, 2008–2011 (¥ BILLIONS) 63
TABLE 33 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO HITACHI PM SINCE 1976 63
TABLE 34 HOGANAS COMPANY FINANCIALS, 2007-2011 (SEK MILLIONS) 70
TABLE 35 HOGANAS COMPANY SALES BY REGION, 2008-2011 (SEK MILLIONS) 70
TABLE 36 HOGANAS COMPANY SALES BY REPORTING SEGMENTS, 2008-2011 (%) 70
TABLE 37 HOGANAS COMPANY'S AVERAGE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES BY COUNTRY, 2011 71
TABLE 38 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO HOGANAS AB SINCE 1976 (SEK MILLIONS) 71
AVM088A - Top Ten Companies in Powder Metallurgy
Copyright © BCC Research, Wellesley MA USA, Website: www.bccresearch.com
TABLE HEADING PAGE NO.
TABLE 39 METALDYNE FINANCIALS REPORTED THROUGH ASAHI TEC, 2006-2008 (Â¥
MILLIONS) 79
TABLE 40 METALDYNE FINANCIALS BEFORE ASAHI ACQUISITION, 2004 AND 2005 (¥
MILLIONS) 79
TABLE 41 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO MASCOTECH SINCE 1976 79
TABLE 42 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO METALDYNE SINCE 1976 81
TABLE 43 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO ASAHI TEC SINCE 1976 82
TABLE 44 MIBA AG COMPANY FINANCIALS, 2008â??2011 (& EURO; MILLIONS) 86
TABLE 45 MIBA AG COMPANY REVENUE SHARES BY SEGMENT AND GEOGRAPHIC REGION,
2009–2011 (%) 86
TABLE 46 MIBA AG EMPLOYEE COUNT BY COUNTRY AND DIVISION, 2009–2011 87
TABLE 47 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO MIBA AG SINCE 1976 87
TABLE 48 RIO TINTO DIAMONDS AND MINERALS DIVISION FINANCIALS, 2009–2011 ($
MILLIONS) 93
TABLE 49 RIO TINTO’S SHARE OF MINERAL RESERVES AND PRODUCTION VOLUMES
(MILLIONS OF TONNES) 93
TABLE 50 RIO TINTOS: NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WITHIN DIAMONDS AND MINERALS
DIVISION, 2009–2011 94
TABLE 51 U.S. PATENTS ASSIGNED TO RIO TINTO (QMP) SINCE 1976 94