Powder sintering is a manufacturing process that has been in use since the Industrial Revolution. Powder metallurgy is closely related to the ceramic sintering process, as both utilize a base powder component and apply heat to produce a hard, solid part. In this article we discuss the sintering process as it is used in powder metallurgy, including the various materials and techniques that produce the metal components used in everyday manufacturing.
Sintering, by definition, is a process used in manufacturing to compact solid materials. The resulting product is a harder, stronger, more durable mass due to the high heat and pressure applied forcing the atoms of the material into tighter bonds with each other. Most manufacturing processes use a sintering furnace that can provide the necessary temperatures quickly and accurately. At its most effective, sintering materials reduces porousness while enhancing strength. Powder metallurgy is the specific study of the sintering process using powdered metals.
The manufacturing of pottery is the most common use for the sintering process, used the world over. It has been utilized for thousands of years in one form or another to strengthen clay materials. Most people, however, are surprised to learn that powder metallurgy has an equally storied history dating back to the ancient Egyptians over 5,000 years ago.
In contemporary manufacturing, metal powders have become more refined. As sintering technologies have improved, the actual sintering materials have also improved. The sintering powders used in the metal manufacturing process — stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, copper and titanium alloy — make up the vast majority of powder metals used in additive manufacturing today.
Powder metallurgy covers a broad range of manufacturing, but what each process shares is the use of sintering powder for metal part fabrication. The benefits of utilizing a furnace or oven — strengthening metal parts through heat and compaction — are core components of additive manufacturing. The sintering process allows us to create components which would decompose otherwise. Because sintering does not require manufacturers to consider solid-liquid phase changes, powder metallurgy is more flexible than conventional manufacturing techniques such as casting, forging and extrusion.
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