Powdered Metal Molding
In Powdered Metal Manufacturing, elemental, partially alloyed or pre-alloyed powders are fed into a die, compacted into the desired shape, and ejected from the die. The green component is then sintered at a temperature below the melting point of the base material in a controlled atmosphere furnace to form metallurgical bonds between the powder particles. Mixing metal powders in the solid state allows opportunities to engineer material properties unique to powder metallurgy. After sintering, a variety of secondary processes and value-added operations may be performed. Most parts are formed to net shape and require no secondary machining, but secondary operations are used perform a variety of optional manufacturing and finishing operations to provide additional complexity and precision or to enhance the performance properties of your part.
Advantages of powdered metal molding over other metalworking processes:
- Offers net shape capability
- Eliminates or minimizes machining
- Eliminates or minimizes scrap losses
- Maintains close dimensional tolerances
- Utilizes a wide variety of alloy systems
- Produces good surface finishes
- Provides materials that may be machined, heat treated, plated or welded to further improve properties and performance characteristics.
- Enables cost-effective, high volume manufacture of complex or unique shapes impractical with other metalworking processes
- Offers long term performance reliability in critical applications
