Abstract: A process for manufacturing highly wear and fatigue resistant steel components for power tools includes melting and mixing together a readily available base steel and alloying elements. The molten steel is cast into near-net-shape in an investment casting process. This method is cost competitive with forming the same component from steel with fewer alloying elements. In particular, clutch plates for a drill/driver or screw gun can be formed in this manner from a steel containing relatively large amounts of nickel and chromium, such as SAE 9310 steel, or from a steel containing a relatively large total amount of molybdenum and tungsten, such as AISI M2 steel.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 11, 2003
Date of Patent:
May 23, 2006
Assignee:
Portar-Cable/Delta
Inventors:
Bimal Kumar Chaterjee, Alan Phillips, John Robert Kriaski, Daniel Paxton Wall