The Differences Between Sintering and Melting Explained

March 8, 2022

Metal fabrication is essential to industries as it generates various parts and components needed to produce equipment pieces, machines, and other vital systems.

For instance, the automotive industry maximises metal fabrication processes in creating almost all vehicle parts. The construction industry, alternatively, uses metal fabrication processes to produce building components. What is common about metal fabrication processes is they can help industries carry out their intended purposes easily.

Several metal fabrication processes can now be maximised by industries in creating their needed parts and products. Some of them are sintering and melting. Both processes intend to combine various workpieces. However, they boast key differences that business owners should know about.

Sintering

Sintering is a process of fusing particles, particularly powder, to generate a solid mass. It maximises pressure and heat in creating the needed parts and products, as long as the heat is below their melting temperature. This process is often used in processing metal, plastic, and ceramic.

Sintering is done in three stages. The first stage is the heating of materials in the furnace so they can generate martensitic, crystalline structures. The next stage pertains to either transient liquid phase sintering or permanent liquid phase sintering. The former is done by adding copper powder into the iron powder, while the latter is done by adding liquid materials into the open pores of the workpiece. The final stage, ultimately, is done by adding more liquid and binder additives into the workpiece.

Metals are materials that regularly undergo the sintering process. With metal powders, the intended output can possess great strength and structural integrity. And since alloying elements can be integrated into the base metal powders while they are in a furnace, the final product can conveniently become strong, resistant to damaging elements, and long-lasting.

Melting

Melting, on the other hand, exposes solid workpieces to their melting temperatures, converting them to their liquid state along the way. The transition of these workpieces from solid into liquid is possible as they are exposed to sufficient thermal energy.

The process of melting is pretty straightforward. Operators would often maximise a torch in melting workpieces, particularly those that are made from metal. As the torch is used against metal workpieces, the affected area liquifies, cutting them based on the required output. Other operators, however, would maximise a foundry. A foundry allows workpieces to be melted into their liquid form, which can then be moulded into various designs and shapes.

Just like sintering, the melting process is often used in processing metal workpieces. By melting metals, operators can easily shape them into the preferred design and specifications. And as the workpieces convert into their liquid state, their diffusion can be much faster, ensuring that any compositional alterations can be attained more easily.

To learn more about sintering and melting, you can call us at PM Distributors.

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