Sintering / Procedure

Sintering is a process that uses a powdery mixture to form stable and often extremely dense components. In the same way as diffusion bonding, processes involving the exchange of materials between the grains are triggered at high temperatures. At the same time, compaction of the mixture and the resulting material contact by means of a process gas are used. Compared with melt-based forming processes, this process does not normally generate a liquid phase, which in turn opens up a degree of freedom regarding the alloy composition or production strategy (forming etc.).

The components are usually already in their rough-pressed or stabilized form (green body) when they are processed to create the final product. Since the green body only has to have a low degree of material cohesion, even injection molding techniques can be used for forming purposes (metal injection molding). In addition to the forming process itself, plant technology can be used to reduce porosities in the pre-sintered components or to carry out special recessing and forming processes (superplastic forming).