Iron Powder for Metallurgy

Iron powders are used in many different industries for many different applications. Following are some examples of the iron powder uses:

Sintered Components

Metal powders open up new possibilities for creative and cost-effective design solutions.

Almost 80% of global iron and steel powder production is converted into sintered components. The manufacturing process involves the shaping of a tailor-made powder formulation by pressure and heat (sintering). Sintered components offer design freedom, almost 100% material utilization and many other benefits. Over 40 million sintered components are produced every day for use in numerous applications including vehicles, power tools and white goods.

Our wide selection of iron-based powders, ranging from pure iron to tool steels, ensures the right solution for each part and process.

The automotive industry is the main user of sintered components, which are common in transmission and engine applications. It is in the automotive area that sintered components have made the most spectacular advances. Many of the early parts for vehicles, such as the bushings and bearings introduced in the 1960s were simple shapes. Components of today can be made in highly complex designs and meet the industry’s demands for strength and tolerances.

A modern automobile contains on average 10 kg of sintered components, but there are big variations depending on its origin. US automobiles tend to have far more sintered components than those produced in Asia.

The use of sintered components is increasing outside the automotive sector, but there is still a huge potential. Parts produced from powder serve special functions
in power tools, white goods, appliances, air-conditioners, computers, lawn movers, locks and pumps. These are just a few examples and the possibilities are endless.

Brazing

High temperature brazing is a joining process carried out under vacuum or in a controlled (reducing) atmosphere with a brazing temperature above 900°C. At brazing the brazing filler metal melts and is drawn by capillarity while molten into the thin space between the base material (not melted) that are to be joined. When cooled a strong and leak free metallurgical bond is created.