When powder metallurgy tech produces low-density parts, the components are leaving the process as lightweight and porous constructs. Structurally attenuated, the parts consume less alloy powder, so process costs drop. Beyond such utilitarian deliberations, however, the lighter than usual parts gain self-lubricating improvements, so a lower frictional coefficient is instantly gained. Expanding on those observations, […]
A tightly narrated overview pinned down the main operational components in the powder metallurgical process. At this point, a new opportunity has arisen. It’s a chance to look beyond the manufacturing technique, to view the effects of heat treatment on sintered metals. Do sintered objects bend to the will of a furnace or tempering station? […]
It’s been a short but eventful journey so far. The powder has progressed from its initial ingress point. Atomized and mixed, the blending chamber tumbled and spun while exotic chemical additives and lubricating agents were decanted. Next in the processing chain, the compaction phase is applied. The consolidated mass arrives as a shapeless lump, and […]
A long line of steps exists between the material processing phase and the point where a perfectly manufactured bearing pops off the production line. Sure, performance benefits have been mentioned in past posts, and sintered bearings do provide other mentionable benefits, but now we’re casting a savvy eye over the production room. Can output hustle […]
In sintering factories, self-lubricating bearings are manufactured by powder metallurgy (PM) equipment. The machines use a mixing process, not solid component mouldings. Thanks to that difference, manufacturing engineers gain mastery over the subject metal. That’s a powerful manufacturing advantage, one that introduces a lubricating medium to sintered bearings. Technically speaking, we’re in oil impregnation territory, […]