Proper Cleaning of Sintered or Porous Metal Parts

The powder metallurgy process entails the production of parts and components out of metal powders. One main reason why this process is being utilised by many industries is that it reduces or even avoids the use of metal removal processes.

There are three major processing steps that are often carried out by powder metallurgy. The first step deals with the production of the metal powder. This specific material often comes from metal ore that is crushed and mixed with other elements. The second step of powder metallurgy would be the compaction and shaping of the powder. The final step of powder metallurgy is known as the consolidation or fusion of powder into a die. This step requires high temperature and pressure to effectively produce a great result.

Benefits of Powder Metallurgy Products

Industries such as automobile, food & drink, and electronics have enjoyed the presence of powdered metal or sintered metal parts since they bring numerous benefits to their respective applications. For one, powder metallurgy products are known to be long-lasting due to their good surface finish and controlled porosity. These products also have increased strength and respectable wear resistance.

Another great benefit of powder metallurgy products is that they minimise the consumption of resources. They even lessen scrap losses as powder metallurgy processes ensure that most raw materials will be used and maximised. Powder metallurgy products likewise require very little or no machining.

Important Factors in Making a Prototype

But to ensure that the whole powder metallurgy process can generate high-quality powdered metal or sintered metal parts, industries are recommended to create prototypes first. The creation of prototypes can give businesses a chance to evaluate their design before producing a massive volume of parts and components. To date, there are three factors that should be considered in making a prototype.

1. Quantity of Prototypes: Prototypes are meant to be reviewed before the actual production. Hence, creating many prototype pieces can be done since it does not truly cost a lot. However, the number of prototypes would still depend on the volume of the desired powdered or sintered metal parts. If one intends to produce more than a hundred parts, it will certainly not benefit from prototypes anymore since building a set of production tools would be cheaper compared to producing prototypes.
2. Overall Size: Another factor to consider in making a prototype is its overall size. The blank preparation for the prototype is normally done by slug moulding and sintering, machining to dimension, and secondary processes such as sintering. All these processes take time. If the size of the blank is somehow big, then expect some added days before one can check the prototype.
3. Structural Properties: The structural properties of the prototype must also be considered if one wants to truly check the density and finishes of their desired products.

First Class Services of PM Distributors

If you want to obtain prototypes of powdered metal or sintered metal parts, then feel free to call us at PM Distributors. We are a company based in Dandenong South, Victoria, Australia, that is dedicated to providing first-class service and bearings for your place of business or establishment. We specialise in providing customised solutions to all our clients.

Manufacturers can get their metal products out of various sources. One of these sources is metal powders. And to convert metal powders into useful metal parts and products, they often undergo powder metallurgy processes as they can effectively reduce yield losses in manufacture. Powder metallurgy processes can also make sure that the manufacturing costs will be reduced significantly.

Powdered metal structural parts are one of the products created out of powder metallurgy processes. These parts have been maximised by different industrial applications as they boast features that cannot be obtained with other types of metal parts and products.

Creation of Powdered Metal Structural Parts

Usually, powdered metal structural parts are often created out of three primary steps: powder formulation, forming, and sintering. Other operations that may be added according to specific requirements mostly include machining, deburring, sizing, or heat treatment.

The first step in creating powdered metal structural parts is powder formulation. During this step, manufacturers would take raw metal materials and subsequently convert them into powder form through atomisation, mechanical alloying, electrolytic techniques, chemical reduction, and pulverisation. The powder metals are then mixed with a lubricant. This particular combination can help reduce the friction between the powder metals and the pressing dies.

The next two steps are vital in making the final powdered metal parts. During forming, the powder metals undergo moulding, forging, or pressing that would prepare them for sintering. The sintering, on the other hand, melts the compacted powder metals in a furnace. The melting process allows the powder metals’ particles to bond together while retaining the intended shape of the part.

Benefits of Powdered Metal Structural Parts

The use of powder metallurgy in creating metal structural parts boasts numerous benefits to industries. For one, it offers lower tool costs compared to other metal forming processes as the process tends to minimise the general machining of parts and products. Powder metallurgy likewise reduces scrap losses as it can use more than 97% of the starting raw materials in the finished product. Additionally, this specific process can generate parts and products with good surface finish, complex or unique shapes, controlled porosity, increased strength, and much more reliable wear resistance. Powdered metal structural parts that are generated by powder metallurgy are likewise expected to offer long-term performance reliability.

Powdered Metal Structural Parts Applications

Given the features of powdered metal structural parts, different industries would utilise them in producing different types of products. Some parts of appliances such as control levers, hinges, and bearings are mostly made from powdered metal structural parts. These same parts can also be used for electric motors, especially for their gears, bearings, and motor cores. The automotive industry likewise utilises powdered metal structural parts in creating cams, gears, inserts, pistons, and valves. All these industries can truly enjoy all the benefits and features that can be found on powdered metal structural parts.

To obtain great powdered metal structural parts, feel free to give us a call at PM Distributors.

When it comes to powder metallurgy, the perceived quality and characteristics of metal powders can all affect the outcome of the products. And so, to obtain greater product results, businesses would normally want to have their metal powders tested. These tests allow them to determine both the physical and mechanical properties of the metal powders as well as their efficiency towards certain applications.

There are certain elements of metal powders that you must look out for when gauging their overall quality. Knowing them can provide you with sufficient knowledge about their true effectiveness and usefulness. After all, you will be using these metal powders in forming parts and coating surfaces.

To determine the quality of your metal powders, here are some elements of metal powders that you must check and consider carefully.

Chemical Composition

The chemical composition of metal powders would usually determine their quality, especially when it comes to their overall type and percentage of impurity. The percentage of impurity that can be found on metal powders can help identify their electrical and magnetic properties, which may be crucial for some applications. Their chemical composition can likewise be defined by their particle hardness and compressibility. This specific element is often tested through standard techniques of chemical analysis.

Particle Size

The particle size of metal powders can help assess their mould strength, porosity, expulsion of trapped gasses, and dimensional stability. This element can also determine the agglomeration, flow, and mixing properties of the metal powders. The particle size of metal powders can be expressed in either diameter or average diameter, which would depend on the shape of their particles.

Particle Shape

Powder particles can come in various shapes. Some of them can be spherical, rounded, angular, or acicular. Others, alternatively, may be fragmented or possess irregular shapes. What makes particle shape significant is that it can quickly affect the compacting and sintering properties of the powder metallurgy processes. Some shapes may have reduced density and flow rate, while others may have reduced pressing properties. These differences can help users choose the best metal powders.

Flow Rate

Another element that can help determine the quality of metal powders is the flow rate. The flow rate of metal powders basically determines their ability to flow under gravity from a container to another area. It is recommended that the powder can fill the die rapidly and uniformly to maintain consistency throughout the powder metallurgy processes. Poor flow rate normally results in slow feeding of the cavity. It can also cause uneven filling of the die cavity during the pressing process. The flow rate of powder metals is usually affected by particle size, size distribution, absorbed air and other external particles.

For more information about metal powders, you can contact us at PM Distributors. We are a company based in Dandenong South, Victoria, Australia, that provides first-class service and bearings for your place of business. We can also provide customised solutions to all our clients.

Bearings have been very useful for many pieces of equipment and devices. For one, bearings help them reduce friction whenever their parts or components rotate. Additionally, they are intended to protect the part that supports the rotation. Even the positioning of the rotating shaft is maintained through bearings. With these hardware devices, industries are guaranteed to perform optimally for a very long time.

To date, bearings can be classified according to their composition. Some of them have spherical rolling elements, while others have cylindrical rolling elements. But whatever their composition is, their performance is still determined by various elements. Some of these are pressure and velocity.

Overview of Bearing’s PV Rating

The pressure (P) imposed on the bearing and its velocity (V) can easily determine the longevity of the bearing. Both elements make up the PV rating, which is a rating that tells the highest combination of load and speed that the bearing can handle optimally during the actual operations. One factor that can be detrimental to the overall PV rating of bearing is the presence of heat.

With heat, it can easily deteriorate the lubricating properties of the bearing. Additionally, it can alter the clearance between the bearing and its housing. The clearance between the bearing and shaft can also be changed due to the presence of heat. As long as there is heat, bearings can easily be faced with increased friction, greater wear, and reduced service life.

The ability of a system to remove heat from the bearing depends on numerous factors. Some of these factors include thermal conductivity of the bearing and the shaft, difference between the maximum bearing temperature and the ambient temperature, bearing thickness, and coefficient of friction between the bearing and the shaft.

Increasing Permissible PV Rating

There are a lot of conditions that can increase the permissible PV rating of a bearing.

• Shaft Hardness and Finish:A hardened or chrome-plated shaft that has a finish of 0.3 microns or better can yield much closer bearing clearances, decreased wear, and better performance.
• Additional Lubrication: The addition of pressure lubrication or extra oil that comes from a reservoir or pump can easily result in a much higher PV rating.
• Cooling: As mentioned, heat can affect the performance of bearing. With effective cooling such as forced air or oil circulation, the permissible PV rating of a bearing can easily increase.
• Instantaneous Loads: Instantaneous loads or loads of short duration is known for increasing the permissible PV rating of a bearing.

Reducing Permissible PV Rating

A reduction in the permissible PV rating of a bearing can be caused by numerous conditions.

• General Properties: A bearing that has poor shaft finish, out of round or soft material, a build-up of dust, grit, or moisture, and presence of corrosive fumes can affect its PV rating.
• Overall Operations: Self-lubricated bearings that operate at low speeds, continual start-stop, or reciprocating motion can instantly reduce their permissible PV rating.
• Extreme Elements: Other types of bearings that operate at high speeds, extreme temperatures, and extreme clearances can likewise reduce their overall PV rating. Operating under high or low temperatures can affect the actual shaft clearance and the lubricant properties.

Keeping the PV rating at the recommended value ensures that a bearing can work optimally for a long time. To know more about it, feel free to contact us at PM Distributors.

Bearings are designed to limit the relative motion of parts to the desired motion. They are also intended to reduce friction as well as any damages that may occur between two or more moving parts. To date, there are various types of bearings available that can fit in specific applications, which are determined by the type of operation, allowed motions, and directions of the forces present on concerned parts.

One type of bearings that are being utilised by numerous industries today is sintered cylindrical roller bearings. These bearings are known to be the simplest and most cost-effective type of sintered bearings available today. Sintered cylindrical roller bearings are often used in applications that have limited space.

Overview

Sintered cylindrical roller bearings are normally pressed in with a mandrel to obtain optimal alignment. The pressing in with a mandrel also allows the bearings to avoid damages to their surfaces. Most of these bearings are applied with commercially available lubricants but can also be incorporated with customised and special ones. What makes these bearings great is that they often have high radial load capacity and can effectively work in small and tight spaces under high speeds.

The rings found on most sintered cylindrical roller bearings are separable. However, there are a few of them that do not have any ribs on either the inner or outer ring, allowing the rings to move axially relative to one another. Other sintered cylindrical roller bearings, alternatively, have two ribs on either the inner or outer rings and one rib on the other. These bearings have the capacity to take some axial load in one direction. All these bearings are created through pressed steel or machined brass cages.

Benefits

Sintered cylindrical roller bearings have a wide array of benefits and advantages over other types of bearings. For one, they are known to perform optimally and reliably due to their overall formation, composition, and material. They can also be fabricated with custom and specialised shapes, dimensions, materials, and lubricants that are suitable for unique and one-of-a-kind applications. And since these bearings are customised, they are ensured to be tested so they can work effectively.

As for their performance, sintered cylindrical roller bearings can carry a higher radial load compared to other bearings due to their unique shape and form factor. They likewise have a slightly greater length than the diameter, allowing them to work at faster speeds and accommodate axial displacement compared to other types of bearings. And with their features, they can easily work under vibratory applications.

Applications

All these features and benefits of sintered cylindrical roller bearings allow them to work in motors and components that have limited available space. They are also utilised and assembled in electric motors. Some more parts and components that can benefit from these bearings include gearboxes, wind turbines, machine tool, material handling equipment, pumps, and steel mills.

To know more about sintered cylindrical roller bearings, feel free to contact us at PM Distributors.

Sintering is a heat treatment process that is applied to a compacted part at a temperature lower than the melting point of the base metal. The temperature of the said process allows the particles of the compacted part to be welded to one another through the solid-state diffusion mechanism.

The sintering process can impart strength, integrity, high-dimensional precision, and effective functionality to the product. It can also reduce the amount of oxygen on the surface of the powder, reduce pores, and partially or fully diffuse other elements in the existing mix of the compacted part. Numerous metals can benefit from sintering. One of the metals that can benefit from the features of sintering is bronze.

Properties of Bronze

Bronze is an alloy that is comprised of copper and tin, which can be integrated with other alloying elements such as zinc and tin. It has a deep brown colour and a golden sheen that makes this specific alloy noticeable right away.

For centuries, the default structure and formation of this specific alloy have been the go-to material for fabricating domestic and industrial tools and products due to their high strength, hardness, corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and even appearance. But with the mixture of other elements, numerous types of bronze alloys are now integrated to daily fabrication and production of products and components since they are now harder, more durable, and can resist more damaging elements.

Bronze for Sintering

And given the characteristics and properties of bronze, numerous manufacturers utilise it in producing sintered parts and components. Being a non-ferrous metal, bronze can likewise allow air and liquids to pass through it, which is integral to the whole process of sintering.

Subjecting bronze material to the whole sintering process can guarantee substantial properties that make it great for domestic, commercial, and industrial use. While the physical properties of the bronze remain unchanged during the entire sintering process, some properties such as material strength, translucency, and thermal conductivity are altered and even enhanced during the same process.

The sintering process for bronze is somehow similar to other metals. The bronze or bronze alloy undergoes grinding, chemical decomposition, or atomisation so it can turn into powdered form. Afterwards, the metallic bronze powder is poured into a mould cavity, on which it will be compacted under immense pressure at room temperature. Once the particles are compacted, the metal part now undergoes sintering through inserting it into a high-temperature furnace so that the metal particles will finally fuse together.

Sintered Bronze Parts

Numerous products today are made from sintered bronze parts. From bearings or bushings to wear plates, they all benefit from the features added by the sintering process to the bronze or bronze alloy. Food and pharmaceutical industries also utilise sintered bronze parts when it comes to manufacturing filtration materials, tools, and system components. Manufacturers, alternatively, take advantage of sintering as the process can work on large quantities of products in just a short time.

For more information about sintered bronze parts, you are free to contact us at PM Distributors.

One sustainable metal-forming process that is being utilised by industries today is known as powder metallurgy. This specific process is done by heating compacted metal powders below their melting points, which can help avoid and reduce the use of any metal removal or machining processes. Moreover, powder metallurgy can easily cut yield losses without spending many resources.

The basic processes in powder metallurgy usually involve the production of metal powder, the compaction of the powder, and the consolidation of the powder into a solid component under specific conditions. While these processes can already produce excellent metal products, tons of secondary operations can be added to achieve more benefits. Secondary operations in powder metallurgy can typically enhance corrosion-resistance of the product, seal its pores, and many more.

Some of the most popular secondary operations in powder metallurgy are as follows:

Sizing

One way to squeeze the thickness and improve the dimensional precision of a powder metallurgy product is through sizing. This secondary operation can bring correct specifications of a part, improve its tolerance limits by up to 50%, and cut down the overall cost processes significantly. With sizing, a part can obtain rounded-off edges, raised or grooved features, better surface finish, and other surface features.

Machining

Machining is another secondary operation in powder metallurgy that can help industries solve certain problems. If the sintering process cannot hold the required tolerances of a metal part, then machining can serve as a workaround. Machining can be conducted through grinding, turning, and milling, which can all help minimise overall lead time, energy consumption, and material waste.

Deburring

Once metal products are formed, there might be some small metal protrusions that are normally left. These small metal protrusions are known as burrs, which can be unpleasant to metal parts if they will be left untouched. Therefore, a secondary operation called deburring is normally done to remove these little imperfections. After all, burrs can be sharp and may affect or even harm the performance of the product.

Coining

Another secondary operation in powder metallurgy that can bring a lot of features to metal parts is known as coining. It is a process of applying pressure on the surface of material so that it can obtain closer tolerances and smoother surfaces. This process is normally done for parts that cannot be moulded during compaction, preventing the need to replace tooling several times.

Impregnation

Parts and products that are created out of powder metallurgy can be porous, which is why some fabrication companies would perform the process of impregnation. Impregnation or infiltration is the process of filling in most of the pores with various elements. These elements can be plastic, resin, copper, oil, or other materials. The whole pressure is pressure-tight, eliminating the risk of leakage.

Steam Treating

Sintered products that are based on iron can maximise the advantages of steam treating. This secondary operation can produce a thin oxide layer that can effectively blend in with the iron surface. The thin oxide layer that is created by steam treating can improve a product’s corrosion resistance, pressure tightness, overall hardness, and some magnetic properties.

For more information about secondary operations in powder metallurgy, feel free to contact us at PM Distributors.

Sintering and sinter hardening are processes that can transform metal powder into useful components for different uses and industries. Typically, a press with a die that takes the shape of the final component is used to place and compact metal powder. Once the powder is compacted, it is subsequently subjected and placed under a high-temperature furnace to effectively bond and combine its particles.

At this point, the green component out of the heated metal powder will undergo the sintering process to produce metal products that are ready for sale or service. Alternatively, the sinter hardening process is carried out to cool the metal parts after sintering to produce a martensitic microstructure.

Understanding the Sintering Process

Sintering is the process of compacting and welding a solid mass of metal products through heat or pressure. Products out of this process do not have to be melted to the point of liquefaction. Most of the time, sintering is utilised in the steel manufacturing industry to create complex metal shapes, produce alloys, and work in metal with high melting points. Other uses of the sintering process include the initial or preliminary moulding of ceramic or glass powders.

The main purpose of the sintering process is to amplify the strength and structural integrity of the metal products. This amplification of the mentioned properties is possible as the process can reduce the porosity of the products. Other notable qualities of metal powder products that are enhanced by the sintering process include their electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and translucency.

Sintering is done in three phases. First, the metal powders are heated in the furnace at an appropriate temperature to create martensitic, crystalline structures. Then, the density of the metal powders’ particles will be increased to combine and merge them all. The merging process of these particles can be done through either transient liquid phase sintering or permanent liquid phase sintering. Lastly, the merged metal powders will now boast a solid form, which makes up the final product.

Alternative Metal Hardening Process

One notable alternative to the whole sintering process is known as sinter hardening. Sinter hardening effectively combines the features and benefits of the sintering and hardening processes into only one operation. With the sinter hardening process, the powder metal particles are sintered in a sintering furnace and then cooled slowly. Once they are cooled, they are transferred into a batch furnace so that the particles will be reheated and quenched, which are processes that make up conventional heat treatment.

The cooling rate of the sintering furnace is quite fast, allowing some parts of the powder metal product matrix to be transformed into martensite. As the transformation occurs, products out of this specific process will typically gain higher hardness. However, they may become brittle. Therefore, tempering them is done to lower their hardness and consequently increase their strength.

With sinter hardening, the need for secondary quench hardening treatment or oil removal is eliminated. Fewer steps during tempering are also seen with this alternative metal hardening process. Some drawbacks of this process, however, include the high cost of reheating and overall operations. A slight dip in the quality of the product is also expected with the sinter hardening process. Products out of sinter hardening are known to lose some performance and need thorough cleaning requirements.

For more information about these processes, just give us a call at PM Distributors.

Several industry sectors maximise the features and properties of sintered components. Components that have undergone the sintering process are known to be more durable and possess excellent mechanical characteristics and complex geometries. They are also cheaper than other products. All these benefits make sintered components to be perfect for product assemblies.

Basic Elements of Sintered Components

Two basic elements that are needed to produce sintered components are metallic powder and tooling. The overall characteristics of the metallic powders usually determine the properties of the sintered component. Metal powder may be either pure metal or an alloy. Additionally, they may have a sponge, irregular, spherical, or laminar nature that covers the properties of the sintered product.

Tooling, alternatively, is an element that holds the negative shape of the final sintered component. The powder mixture being processed and manufactured is placed and compacted inside this tool so that its final form would be durable and obtain precise properties.

Three Essential Manufacturing Processes

To produce and manufacture sintered components, three basic processes must be done. These processes are mixing, compacting, and sintering.

Mixing is the first step in producing sintered components. During this process, the base metal powder is mixed and combined with different alloying elements through an organic lubricant and special additives. Strict dosing and control processes are further done to maintain the material chemical composition of the mixture. The powder mixture that will be produced after this step will now obtain all the desired mechanical, physical, and chemical characteristics of the final product.

The next step in producing sintered components is compacting. During compacting, the powder mixture from the previous process will now be filled into the tool cavity through gravity. A uniaxial pressure, which is measured depending on the desired final density, is subsequently applied onto the tool cavity to effectively compact the mixture. Once the compacted mixture is removed from the tooling, it is now expected to possess specific mechanical strength.

Ultimately, sintering is done by heating the compacted part at a specific time and temperature in continuous furnaces. The heating temperature of this process, which is around 750 to 1,300°C is normally lower than the base metal melting point. The furnace used in this process has controlled speed, atmosphere conditions, and chemical composition. Once the heating is done, the metallic part will now have great micro-porosity and high dimensional precision.

Some Properties of Sintered Components

Sintered components are usually suitable for adhesive bonding due to their excellent surface porosity. Most of the time, these components can be simply joined to other materials through gluing. And once they are integrated into other materials, one can already expect a uniform stress distribution within these products. Aside from their adhesive bonding, sintered components likewise possess enhanced tensile strength, great compressive strength, and improved ductility as their density increases.