2000-11-14 Pressing & Sintering

Die Filling Capability of Powder Mixes

PM2000, in Kyoto, Japan. Authors: Hilmar Vidarsson, Johan Arvidsson. The quality of powder mixes in P/M is frequently studied using standardized techniques, such as Hall Flow, AD etc. These techniques are however limited in predicting the performance during production. For this purpose, a die-filling simulator has been developed. Filling of dies of rectangular shape was characterized to establish the importance of the die width and orientation on the filling density of powder mixes. Furthermore, the effect of bonding of the powder mixes on the die filling was studied, especially in terms of the maximum feed shoe rate possible for complete filling. The results are discussed in terms of impact on filling performance during pressing.