Powder metallurgy begins as a metal or ceramic in a powdered form, which is then consolidated in a variety of different ways to produce high quality parts.
Powder metallurgy has many advantages over the conventional engineering process; with a highlight being that the process now allows products to be made that would not have previously been possible.
- Production waste is eliminated as precise shapes and sizes can be formed without many manufacturing steps;
- The ability to reduce manufacturing time, which produces a more cost effective product;
- Highly complex components are able to be produced with ease;
- A flexible process, which can custom produce alloys with multiple alloying elements at no significant extra cost.
The industry applications are limitless; with titanium being used in the production of hip joints and a wide range of medical implants, cogs, nozzles, jet engine and aircraft parts, sports equipment, and compressor blades.
A chemical or mechanical process is used to produce titanium alloy powder, which is then consolidated into a desired shape or high performance coating.
Consolidation methods include:
- Compacting/sintering;
- Injection moulding;
- Spray forming;
- Laser deposition/laser sintering;
- Hot isostatic pressing/cold isostatic pressing;
- Foam structures;
- Screen printing;
- Coating;
- Hot working processes i.e. extrusion, rolling and forging.