There is an increasing demand for PM-processes with the capability to produce parts of higher complexity than with conventional press and sinter technology in high production numbers. Warm-flow-compaction (WFC) makes use of improved flowability of powders when blended in an appropriate ratio with fine powder fractions and lubricating binders. Here the process is shown with examples of PM-Steels. General features possible with the process like pressing of undercuts and threaded bores are shown.

An apparatus measuring changes of various forces directly and continuously was developed by a way of direct touch between powders and transmitting force component, which can be used to study forces state of powders during warm compaction. Using the apparatus, warm compaction processes of iron-based powder materials containing different lubricants at different temperatures were studied. Results show that densification of the iron-based powder materials can be divided into four stages, in which powder movement changes from robustness to weakness, while its degree of plastic deformation changes from weakness to robustness.

PM recent developments focus on increasing this technology's competitiveness when compared to wrought materials. Warm compaction allows the replacement of a double press double sinter process with a single warm press and sintering step, thus allowing cost and time savings. Moreover there are added benefits to consider such as reducing work in process and lessening part's logistics cost. This paper presents a successful industrial trial to replace a double press-double sinter process with a warm die compaction and sintering process. The part chosen was a high performance gear containing 0,9% wt. carbon. Sintering was conducted in a belt furnace at in a nitrogen rich atmosphere with rapid cooling process in order to obtain a quasi fully martensitic structure with a minimum of 700HV0,1 and 450HV10 after annealing. The balance between properties and cost is favoured by the use of a singular lubricant developed in a Eureka frame project together with POMETON S.A. and die warm compaction. Warm compaction is only needed to be effective on the gear teeth, in order to achieve the required properties. Therefore only the die is actually heated. This simplified system avoids flow rate problems typically involved when using more elaborate warm compaction equipments.

The high pressure compaction without internal lubricant and the high green density even with the pore free density were achieved by the newly developed die wall lubricant for warm compaction. This developed die wall lubricated warm compaction followed by high temperature sintering resulted in not only the superior mechanical property but also the low dimensional change. In this paper, the effects of increasing the green density on the sintered density, the dimensional change and the mechanical property are mainly discussed

In recent years, demands for sintered ferrous material with higher strength are increasing. To satisfy these demands, studies and commercial use of the die wall lubrication method, the warm compaction method and the combination of both methods are widely carried out to achieve high density. The die wall lubrication warm compaction method makes it possible to achieve high density by reducing internal lubricant through die wall lubrication, although the method involves several issues such as prolonged cycle time due to lubricant spraying and difficulty in spraying lubricant in the case of compacting with complicated geometry. Meanwhile, the conventional warm compaction method requiring no die wall lubricant application cannot achieve such a high density as in the case of die wall lubrication warm compaction due to higher volume of internal lubricant. However, this report discloses our study result in which the possibility of improving density is exhibited by using a lubricant type with superior dynamic ejection property that can reduce volume of lubricant additive.

The deformation under radial pressure of rectangular dies for metal powder compaction has been investigated by FEM. The explored variables have been: aspect ratio of die profile, ratio between diagonal of the profile and die height, insert and ring thickness, radius at die corners, interference, different insert materials, i. e. conventional HSS, HSS from powders, cemented carbide (10% Co). The analyses have ascertained the unwanted appearance of tensile normal stress on brittle materials, also "at rest", and even some dramatic changes of stress patterns as the die height increases with respect to the rectangular profile dimensions. Different materials behave differently, mainly due to difference of thermal expansion coefficients. Profile changes occur when the dies are heated up to the temperature required for warm compaction. The deformation patterns depend on compaction temperature and thermal expansion coefficients.

During cold compaction processes loose powder is pressed under tooling action in order to produce complex shaped engineering components. Here, the analysis of the plastic deformation of granular packings is of fundamental importance to the development of computer simulation models. Powders can be idealized by packing discrete particles, where each particle is a sphere meshed with finite elements. The pressing of a body centered cubic packing was compared with numerical prediction and experimental data. The global response was expressed in force-displacement curve, and the accuracy of the numerical models analyzed for high relative densities up to 0.95.

In contrast with the Finite Element Method, the Discrete Element Method (DEM) takes explicitly into account the particulate nature of powders. DEM exhibits some drawbacks and many advantages. Simulations can be computationally expensive and they are only able to represent a volume element. However, these simulations have the great advantage of providing a wealth of information at the microstructural level. Here we demonstrate that the method is well suited for modelling, in coordination with FEM, the compaction of ceramic particles that have been aggregated. Aggregates of individual ceramic crystallites that are strongly bonded together are represented by porous spheres.

Numerical Simulation of powder die pressing is conducted on Case Study geometry. Influence of fill density distribution and punch kinematics upon green density distribution and punch loading are studied and discussed. Deviations in punch kinematics due to punch deflection influence the most the results in term of density and force.

Densification behavior of iron powder under cold stepped compaction was studied. Experimental data were also obtained for iron powder under cold stepped compaction. The elastoplastic constitutive equation based on the yield function of Shima and Oyane was implemented into a finite element program (ABAQUS) to simulate compaction responses of iron powder during cold stepped compaction. Finite element results were compared with experimental data for densification, deformed geometry and density distribution.

Densification behavior of various metal and ceramic powder was investigated under cold compaction. The Cap model was proposed based on the parameters obtained from axial and radial deformation of sintered metal powder compacts under uniaxial compression and volumetric strain evolution. For ceramic powder, the parameters were obtained from deformation of green powder compacts under triaxial compression. The Cap model was implemented into a finite element program (ABAQUS) to compare with experimental data for densification behavior of various metal and ceramic powder under cold compaction.

In a multi-action tooling system, which is usually used for the powder compaction process to fabricate the complex multilevel parts, crack formation is crucially detrimental and should be avoided. Among various process factors, tool shape is an important factor to prevent the crack formation during powder compaction process. In this work, the effects of different tool shapes were investigated through the experimental oberservation of pore distribution in real products and the finite element analysis of residual stresses. The results were interpreted based on non-uniform powder density in the compacted parts.

High-Speed Centrifugal Compaction Process (HCP) is a wet compacting method, in which powders are compacted under a huge centrifugal force. The HCP was well applied to small alumina specimens, but the compact easily cracked when we applied the HCP to other materials. We clarified how the cracks introduced and found that the formation of such a flow pattern was related to the Colioli's force in the centrifugal field.

Capping mechanisms during the compaction of pharmaceutical powders were explored. Both experimental and numerical investigations were performed. For the experimental study, an X-ray Computed Microtomography system has also used to examine the internal failure patterns of the tablets produced using a compaction simulator. Finite element (FE) methods have also been used to analyse the powder compaction. The experimental and numerical studies have shown that the shear bands developed at the early stage of unloading appear to be responsible for the occurrence of capping. It has also been found that the capping patterns depend on the compact shape.

High-Speed Centrifugal Compaction Process is one of slip-using compacting method originally developed for processing of oxide ceramics. In this study, we apply the HCP to ultra-fine (0.1 micron) WC powder. Organic liquid of heptane was chosen as dispersing media to avoid possible oxidation of WC. The mixing apparatus was a key to obtain dense compacts. Only the slips mixed by high energy planetary ball mill were packed up to 55% by the HCP, and sintered to almost full density at 1673 K without any sintering aids. This sintered compact marked Vickers hardness of Hv 2750 at maximum.

Through different projects, CETIM and its scientific and industrial partners have evaluated the potential of the High Velocityy Compaction Technology in terms of materials and component shape. Various kinds of powder materials were studied: metals, ceramics and polymers. The HVC process was used with success to manufacture gears, large parts and multilevel components. Due to the high density of HVC parts, the green machining process enables shapes to be produced that would otherwise be impossible to compact and components to be produced with very hard sintered and homogeneous materials.

The with various phases were prepared by simple ex-situ hydrolysis and spark plasma sintering (SPS) process of Al powder. The nano bayerite phase was derived by hydrolysis of commercial powder of Al with micrometer size, whereas the bohemite (AlO(OH)) phase was obtained by hydrolysis of nano Al powder synthesized by pulsed wire evaporation (PWE) method. Compaction as well as dehydration of both nano bayerite and bohemite was carried out simultaneously by SPS method, which is used to fabricate dense powder compacts with a rapid heating rate of per min. under the pressure of 50MPa. After compaction treatment in the temperature ranges from , the bayerite and bohemite phases change into various alumina phases depending on the compaction temperatures. The bayerite shows phase transition of sequences. On the other hand, the bohemite experiences the phase transition from AlO(OH) to It shows AlO(OH) sequences. The compacted at shows a high surface area .

본 연구는 지중배전관로 시공시 되메움재로 많이 사용되는 대표적인 국내 강모래의 다짐특성을 규명하고자 한국공업규격(KS 규격)에 따른 기본 물성시험 및 다짐시험을 실시하였다. 시험결과 비중은 2.63~2.67 범위에 해당되어 입도분포는 빈입도의 영역에 속함을 알 수 있었다. 또한, 다짐시험결과 최대 건조단위중량은 1.70. 최적함수비는 11.30~13.80%의 범위로 나타났다. 다짐에너지에 따른 다짐도의 변화경향은 일련의 쌍곡선 함수식으로 잘 근사되는 것을 알았으며, 이와 같이 구해진 다짐도로 우리나라의 대표적인 강모래의 다짐특성을 규명하는 것이 가능했다.

In this study the nanostructured ceramics have been fabricated by the combined application of magnetic pulsed compaction (MPC) and subsequent spark plasma sintering (SPS), and their density and hardness properties were investigated. The prepared by the combined processes showed an increase by in density, approaching the value close to the true density, and an enhancement by in hardness, compared to those fabricated by MPC or static compaction method followed by sintering treatment.