ABSTRACT
Powder metallurgy (PM) is a manufacturing process used for producing cost-effective materials and components for a range of engineering applications. It is a method capable of producing products that are complicated to produce by wrought processing techniques. The PM benefits over other techniques are to produce near-net-shape and homogeneous parts with reduced machining and scrap rate. It is a solid state which can be used in batch production systems. Applications for PM include automotive, biomedical devices, and mining. The PM process involves mixing metal powders including reinforcement powders where composite and metal-matrix composites are made; compaction of the prepared composition into metal dies to produce green materials; and annealing or sintering of the compacts and further processing, i.e., forging, extrusion etc. Alternatively, metal injection moulding (MIM), and additive manufacturing (AM) are well-established powder metallurgy processes. These techniques have gained a considerable market share in the medical devices market. It is critical to tailor the mechanical properties in PM manufacturing to gain an advantage over conventional manufacturing relevant to specific patients. For example, porous biomedical products can be tailored to address particular medical needs of patients. Additionally, powder rolling enables the manufacturing of thin-walled sheets/plates.
