Powder Metallurgy

If you require metallurgical products in large quantities (over a few thousands), then Powder Metallurgy technology is the most sutiable method. This method has the advantage of being a rapid, economical and high volume production for making precision components from powder. Some examples of products made from powder metallurgy are shown below:

Operations

Our operations involve the use of a suitable powder, mixed homogenously with a lubricant. The mix is then loaded into a mould and compacted under pressure and then sintered. We use various types of lubricants, the main function of which is to reduce friction between the powder mass and the surfaces of the die, in order to ease in ejection and compaction. The mixing process has to be carrried out with much care as over or under-mixing will cause problems. Talk to us about this aspect of work.

Powder

The geometrical aspect of the powder is very important. In our work, we will control the powder particles' shape, size and distribution. Some examples of particle shapes are shown below:

These powder parameters will affect the various properties of the end product. We have an in-depth understanding of how the various parameters interact with each other. As a result, we can ensure a reproducible result. The powder can be of the ferrous type like iron, or non-ferrous like aluminium. Please refer to our materials list for more information. Some examples of powder are shown below:

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Shaping

We shape the parts using large pressure and we can maintain the shape by cold-welding. In this process, the parts become denser and in general, an increase of density will lead to an improvement of the mechanical properties. The final product can be tested in our metrology section. For example, we can perform density checks, tensile tests, abrasion tests, hardness tests, environmental tests or other tests as requested by you. We can also perform metallographic studies by sectioning the product, by grinding, by impregnation with epoxy resin, by polishing or by etching and then we can examine the microstructure under a high resolution microscope.

Tools and Dies

For tools and dies, we can use ordinary steel or hard metal. The selection procedure will depend on the requested quantity. Our die is precise in dimension and it has a high quality surface finish thus preventing subsequent machining operations, which will save you cost. By using a well-designed mould, we can produce 1 million parts without any major problem.

Powder metallurgy is a very complex process that involves atomic diffusion, recrystallisation, and grain growth. We control the rate of heating, time, temperature and atmosphere accurately so that we can obtain a reproducible result during each run. A properly shaped part using our process can have properties comparable with those of conventional forgings.

Secondary Process

After making the metal product, we can perform secondary processes such as tapping, plating, lapping, drilling odd shape holes, impregnating with oil, and fine polishing to mirror surface finish. We can also coat the finished products with elastomer or plastics in our coating and sealing sections. Please refer to our materials section for a list of materials for coatings. If you cannot find a suitable coating material, let us know and we will compound one that suits your needs.

Our powder metallurgy work is carried out in the UK.