Nichols Portland, Inc. Scales Its Metal Parts Manufacturing Business with the Elnik Sintering Experts

Nichols Portland, Inc. Scales Its Metal Parts Manufacturing Business with the Elnik Sintering Experts

Introduction

Nichols Portland, Inc. (NPI) is one of the fastest-growing providers of metal injection molding (MIM) and metal additive manufacturing (AM) parts in the United States. Headquartered in St. Mary’s, PA, with multiple locations nationwide, NPI has followed a steady growth trajectory for the past decade, leading to corporate acquisitions and technology advancements. In October 2025, NPI announced a $4.7M advanced manufacturing investment to support workforce development and expansion in the local Pennsylvania community. Learn more about the announcement here. 

Historically, NPI has been relied on by major industrial, automotive, and heavy equipment manufacturers to produce pumps, generated rotors, and specialty valves using conventional PM. More recently, NPI has incorporated both Metal Injection Molding (MIM) and metal AM.  Metal AM is a zero-tooling option that allows for faster product development and short run production while bridging to production MIM. Both in-house MIM and metal AM technologies support a wide range of metal materials and require debinding, sintering, and finishing to produce assembly-ready parts.

Differences Between Metal Injection Molding & Metal Additive Manufacturing​

Sintering is a major consideration when it comes to the design, production, and intended use of any MIM or metal AM produced components.  Simply put, it’s the science of densifying metal parts using high-heat temperatures in a controlled atmospheric furnace environment through highly intelligent process control. Maybe not so simple after all and according to NPI Director of Engineering, David Smith, “there are a lot of heat treatment companies, but minimal MIM or Metal AM furnace experts that are technical enough to deliver the quality our customers rely on or support the type of advanced metallurgy projects we engage in at NPI.” 

Challenge

Across six different locations in the United States, NPI produces thousands of gears, pumps, and rotors monthly and is relied upon to deliver on time and in spec. As the company evolves its’ technology and design capabilities, they have entered new markets for specialty alloys in firearms, aerospace, and medical device applications. This includes low alloy steels, titanium, refractory metals, or nickel-based alloys such as Inconel or Hastelloy. While growth is welcomed, it also comes with fabrication challenges.

“Each metal—whether MIM or AM— could require unique sintering recipes for densification, plus an industrial furnace capable of handling varying temperatures and atmospheric controls,” Smith explains. “I’ve worked with several furnace types and encountered failures due to capacity constraints or temperature non-uniformity.”

Softer metals, such as copper, typically sinters between 750 – 1,000°C, while harder metals such as titanium and stainless-steel sinter between 1150 – 1400°C. The range matters, especially when it comes to design, shrinkage, and component intention. All of these factors result in a challenge that requires a solution that is simple, scalable, reliable. 

That’s why NPI has invested in Elnik Systems batch sintering furnaces for years and continues to use its’ sister company, DSH Technologies, for ongoing metallurgy support and guidance. 

Solution

For over 30 years, the Elnik Systems name has been synonymous with sintering innovation and excellence. Historically supporting the MIM industry and more recently, metal AM, Elnik Systems continues to be the unquestioned leader in high-performance sintering furnace technology. NPI currently operates four industrial furnaces and several catalytic debind units located in their St. Mary’s, PA location. Each furnace is equipped with a gas plenum retort for superior gas distribution,  AccuTemp(r) + Offset Manager, and either a graphite or all metal hot zones and retorts.  NPI also partners with DSH Technologies for troubleshooting, recipe development, training, and research.

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“As a contract manufacturer, we are introduced to new engineering challenges every day and are asked to push the limits on behalf of our customers. We thrive on this pressure, but we also acknowledge how valuable it is to have reliable partners that can fill the knowledge gaps,” Smith shares the unique challenges that come with scaling the business. “We lean on Elnik Systems and DSH Technologies with confidence to support our toughest metallurgy, process control, and sintering challenges.”

With Elnik's full debind and sinter portfolio, NPI advances its’ sintered metals division for high-volume production of complex shapes that would otherwise require costly machining and added resources. Compared to alternative metalworking technologies, sintered metals achieve superior tolerances with excellent surface finishes that the automotive, agricultural, and commercial markets have come to expect and rely on. This includes applications such as cylinder liners, cam-shaft assemblies, gears, rotors, and other high-volume components in industrial equipment.

Results

NPI continues to scale its’ business using Elnik equipment and the confidence that comes with reliable, repeatable technology. “To keep costs manageable for clients, NPI must be highly attentive to every stage of the process—and incorrect sintering can have a significant impact on the bottom line.” As Smith notes, “sintering is a major cost consideration, and if we experience furnace issues , we are at risk of losing an entire batch. The benefit of Elnik Systems’ molybdenum furnace is a clean, controlled, and monitored environment that steadily produces when we need it most.”

By leveraging the expertise of DSH Technologies, NPI is able to reduce the time required for new project investigation and uncover new applications in untapped markets. Most notably, meeting the AMS 2750 standards for aerospace alloys or advancing opportunities in the medical device or implants market.  DSH Technologies, led by Chief Metallurgist Bryan Sherman, also remains a steady partner for education and training for NPI’s engineering staff and for external customer engagements.

Smith, a veteran of both large and small MIM organizations, shares his thoughts on the value DSH Technologies brings to NPI, “regardless of the metallurgy resources available on staff, there is a lot of tribal knowledge and information that can be taken for granted. Bryan at DSH Technologies was excellent at reducing the learning curve for us and instrumental in developing new recipes and troubleshooting existing ones. There is a strong relationship between NPI and DSH—we consider them an extension of our business.”

Looking Forward

Between the equipment confidence afforded by the Elnik Systems portfolio of sophisticated sintering capabilities and unmatched expertise of DSH Technologies, Nichols Portland, Inc can effortlessly scale and remain a leader in the metal parts making business. The recent investment news further supports the anticipated growth that NPI is planning for both metal injection molding and metal additive manufacturing. Smith enthusiastically shares, “we are building a team with fresh engineers and onboarding additional MIM, metal AM, and sintering capabilities. We will continue to lean on our valuable partnerships with Elnik Systems and DSH Technologies to further our presence in the metal forming industry.”

 Learn more about Nichols Portland Inc by visiting their website at www.nicholsportlandinc.com.