11.04.2017 Pressing & Sintering

Production Case Studies on the Machinability of Powder Metal (PM) Steels

Machining of powder metal (PM) steels is often completed in order to meet final dimensions, provide a desired surface finish or impart features not possible during compaction. Understanding machinability is of increasing importance as more PM components are machined. Additionally, understanding the roles of machinability enhancing additives and their interaction with different material systems is critical in order to select the best additives for a given material system and machining conditions. This paper will detail the microstructure effects on machining and the effectiveness of machining additives. Production case studies will be presented for different material systems and operations. It will be shown that not all additives are effective in every material system and that pairing the microstructure to the machining additive and machining operation is key to maximizing the machinability.