Powder metallurgy uses sintering process for making various parts out of metal powder. The metal powder is compacted by placing in a closed metal cavity (the die) under pressure. This compacted material is placed in an oven and sintered in a controlled atmosphere at high temperatures and the metal powders coalesce and form a solid. A second pressing operation, repressing, can be done prior to sintering to improve the compaction and the material properties.
Powder metallurgy technology is a metal powder injection molding technology that can be used to make parts that have irregular curves, or recesses that are hard to machine. It is suitable for high volume production with very little wastage of material. Secondary machining is virtually eliminated.
Typical powder metallurgy products that can be made with this process include cams, ratchets, sprockets, pawls, sintered bronze and iron bearings (impregnated with oil) and carbide tool tips.
The powder metallurgy part must be so designed to allow for easy ejection from the die. Sidewalls should be perpendicular; hole axes should be parallel to the direction of opening and closing of the die.
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