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New composite materials for the production of high-performance self-lubricating bearings are being developed at AMES. Data from tribological testing of new and conventional materials are presented, together with structural, mechanical, acoustic, and functional PV properties. Potential applications where conventional ball-bearings could be replaced by the new sintered bearings are considered.

The increasing use of electronics and computers in automobiles often call for actuators and/or control devices which include magnetic circuits. Applications appear in a wide range of areas such as safety (ABS system), fuel efficiency (electronic injection systems), comfort (suspension control), ignition (electronic ignition triggers) among others. Each application requires different magnetic characteristics, which are fulfilled by a variety of alloys and manufacturing techniques. P/M materials compacted to high densities offer characteristics close to wrought or rolled materials with the cost and precision advantages traditionally associated to sintered components. The paper presents the magnetic characteristics of a number of state-of-the-art high density (95-98% of solid) P/M materials and examples of applications in the automotive field.