PM Champion to Receive Award for Helping Advance PM in the Automotive Industry

Richard (Rick) Ricchi, technical specialist, General Motors Corporation (GM), Warren, Michigan, has been selected to receive the Vanguard Award from the Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF). The award recognizes powder metallurgy (PM) industry champions from the end-user community whose long-time promotion of the technology has contributed to the expansion of PM applications. Ricchi is only the third person to receive the award since its inception in 2014. The award presentation will take place during the Opening General Session at the PowderMet2023, International Conference on Powder Metallurgy and Particulate Materials, and co-located AMPM2023, Additive Manufacturing with Powder Metallurgy conference, June 18–21, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Over his years at GM, Ricchi has been a true pioneer in promoting powder forged (PF) connecting rods at GM. Today, PF connecting rods are in over 90% of the GM engines, including 2 diesel engine applications. His work at GM included internal staircase fatigue testing of connecting rods to generate fatigue strength values used in GM component design, extensive shot-peening studies, and post-forge cooling processes to increase tool life. Ricchi has become the powder metallurgy guru at GM.

Ricchi has been active at MPIF’s annual PowderMet conferences, both as an attendee and on the Technical Program Committee. Over the last 28 years, he has presented at the General Motors Base Engine Design Class, teaching 1,000’s of students the numerous advantages of PF connecting rods.

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Editor's Note:  For further information contact Dora Schember at dschember@mpif.org                

About the Metal Powder Industries Federation  

Metal Powder Industries Federation is the North American trade association formed by the powder metallurgy industry to advance the interests of the metal powder producing and consuming industries and provides a single point of reference for all MPIF member companies.