Student Information

III.    Competitive Processes 

Design engineers must determine the property requirements and economic impact of individual components as they are placed into final part assemblies.   The composition, microstructure, and method of manufacture determine how each part will function in service and what the cost will be.  There are a number of commercial metalforming technologies that compete with PM.  Primary examples are casting, stamping, and forging.  A detailed comparison of PM with each alternative method confirms that in general, the powder product is cost-effective.  The PM process is environmentally friendly and attendant properties/performance match or exceed those of the cast, stamped or forged counterpart.