Press-and-Sinter Process

In this process, custom-blended metal powders are fed into a die, compacted into the desired shape, ejected from the die, and then sintered (solid-state diffused) at a temperature below the melting point of the base material in a controlled atmosphere furnace.

The compaction step requires the part to be removable from the die in the vertical direction with no cross movements of the tool members. The sintering step creates metallurgical bonds between the powder particles, imparting the necessary mechanical and physical properties to the part.

Conventional PM offers many advantages over the other consolidation methods. It offers the lowest manufacturing cost, including modest tooling costs. It also produces the closest tolerances in the finished parts. Since it is a net-shape processing technology, it yields parts requiring little or no secondary machining operations. Lastly, it makes available to designers and fabricators a wide variety of material systems from which to choose.

Parts produced through the press-and-sinter process are subject to certain limitations as well. Tooling and the maximum press tonnage capabilities impose size and shape constraints on parts that can be fabricated. Annual production quantities dictate how quickly the costs of tool set-ups and maintenance can be amortized. Finally, the presence of residual porosity in the parts will cause certain physical and mechanical properties to be lower than those of the wrought material.

Typical Press-and-Sinter Products—gears, sprockets, cams, ratchets, levers, clutch plates, pressure plates, housings, pole pieces, bearings, bushings

Typical Markets Using Press-and-Sinter Parts—automotive, appliances, power tools, hydraulics, lawn and garden, agriculture, off-road equipment, motors, firearms, recreational equipment, hardware, business equipment