10/06/2003 Pressing & Sintering

Close Dimensional Stability at High Production Rates

PM²TEC 2003, in Las Vegas, USA. Authors: Hilmar Vidarsson, Sigurd Berg, Daniel Edman, Björn Johansson, Peter Thorne. In production of P/M parts, dimensional stability is one of the most important quality parameters. While the contributions from powder handling, pressing operation and sintering are known to influence dimensional stability, powder properties also play an important role. Bonding of powder mixes can be used to as a means to improve dimensional stability of green and sintered components. Although the primary reason for bonding is to avoid dusting and segregation, it also influences powder properties, especially the flow behaviour. The bonding system used in Starmix™ powders is optimised to achieve maximum bonding efficiency in combination with superior die filling performance and at high production rates. This is demonstrated by comparing Starmix™ powders with non-bonded powder mixes in both laboratory studies and full-scale production.