2012/06/12 Pressing & Sintering

Lubrication for Demanding Applications

A major advantage of powder metallurgy (PM) compared to other manufacturing technologies is the inherent near net shape capabilities. As PM continues to expand and material costs continue to rise, applications continue to increase in complexity. The increase in complexity will require PM component manufacturers to have an understanding of current lubrication technologies available in the industry to maximize productivity of complex components. In this paper, several lubricant systems are tested on current production components. Different component geometries are evaluated to show the limitations of each lubricant system on weight scatter, density, ejection, surface finish, and staining after sintering.