Sintering Technology [Procedure + Video]

SINTERING PROCEDURE / SINTERING TECHNOLOGY

1. DEFINITION

The sintering process is characterized through the fact that the metal alloys are formed into precision parts below their melting temperature. For this purpose, metal powder, depending on the desired alloy, is mixed together and bonded together by heating.

The mixture is pressed into the tools and compressed under high pressure. Only after the subsequent heat treatment does the component acquire the desired properties such as strength, hardness or conductivity.

2. AN OVERVIEW OF THE SINTERING PROCEDURE

1. Mix the raw material of the sintered parts

First, the desired powders or granules for the sintering process are selected and mixed in the appropriate ratio. The additional supply of a lubricant additive is also possible here.

2. Shaping

The so-called green body is formed by molding or pressing the mixed raw material into the die at high pressure. This already corresponds to the shape of the desired sintered product.

3. Compression

Now the actual sintering follows. The high-temperature treatment of the green body causes the powder granules to enlarge and fuse.

The open porosity of the sintered parts is significantly reduced. Only now do the desired properties of the component, such as strength, hardness or conductivity, arise.

4. Cooling & finishing

In the penultimate step of the sintering process, after cooling, the post-processing takes place. If necessary, mechanical post-processing and surface treatment are carried out here.

5. Final inspection

After the sintering process is complete, all components are subjected to a comprehensive visual inspection.

The entire scope of all criteria and measures of quality control in the sintering technology is coordinated according to the functions and customer requirements.

3. VIDEO: PROCESS FLOW IN THE SINTEN PROCEDURE

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4. ORIGIN OF SINTERING TECHNOLOGY

The sintering process has been used since the invention of ceramics and is continually being empirically refined. While the burning of porcelain is one of the oldest areas of application, sintered iron became increasingly important due to the lack of copper during the Second World War.

Systematic research into the sintering process, however, only began in the 1950s, when companies began to manufacture metal components from powder moldings. The knowledge gained was then transferred to the handling of high-performance ceramics.

Since the invention of sintering technology in the early 1990s, the sintering process has also been known as laser sintering (LS) because at that time all systems used a laser.