The conventional P/M process involves four steps:
- Powder blending enables a uniform mixture, provides the appropriate material properties and ensures minimum friction.
- Powder compaction permits a wide range of design flexibility in the radial aspect.
- Sintering bonds the powder particles through diffusion, improving a component's mechanical properties.
- Sizing and Coining (sometimes referred to as calibration) increases both precision and density and reduces the P/M part's roughness.
Take the "virtual plant tour" to see how GKN turns metal powders into finished P/M components
