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2.  Powder Forging

Powder forging (P/F) is used to produce components essentially free of internal porosity.  The associated properties are equivalent to those developed in conventional precision forged products made from billets.  The P/F process (Figure 10) is performed in three steps with the first two similar to normal PM processing.  A preform is pressed as a conventional PM compact.  The mass, density, and shape of the preform are controlled closely to ensure consistency in the characteristics of the final forged component.  The preform is sintered with particular attention paid to the reduction of nonmetallic inclusions.  The sintered preform is then reheated, placed in the forging die, and forged to full density.  The tooling shape is designed to be close to that of the finished part with material flow controlled to fill the cavity completely.

Figure 10: Powder Forging Process-Schematic: Source "Powder Metallurgy Design Manual," Third Edition, MPIF.