|
Manufacturing:
Metal Forming
Powder
Metallurgy
Powder metallurgy, or P/M,
is a highly developed method of manufacturing
reliable ferrous and nonferrous parts. Made
by mixing elemental or alloy powders and
compacting the mixture in a die, the resultant
shapes are then sintered or heated in a
controlled-atmosphere furnace to metallurgically
bond the particles. Basically a 'chipless'
metalworking process, P/M typically uses
more than 97% of the starting raw material
in the finished part. Because of this, P/M
is an energy and materials conserving process.
The P/M process is cost
effective in producing simple or complex
parts at or very close to final dimensions
at production rates that can range from
a few hundred to several thousand parts
per hour. As a result, only minor, if any,
machining is required. P/M parts also can
be sized for closer dimensional control
that essentially eliminates secondary fabrication
steps and/or coined for both higher density
and strength.
See Also
- The Metal Injection
Molding (MIM) Process
|
