Using Property Profiles to Support Early PM Component Design

摘要

When designing high performance mechanical parts in PM it is the mechanical and other properties provided per unit of cost that counts for the designers. Therefore, current PM-materials standards MPIF 35 and ISO5755 are confusing since they stress the chemical composition of the powder grade rather than the properties. To clarify, the concept of property profiles is explored in this paper. The basic idea is that rather than selecting a powder grade and prescribe the density, the designer will instead select an appropriate property profile. The PM parts supplier will then understand the requirements for the PM part better and be able to propose a powder and process that will provide exactly the required properties. In addition to simplifying the material and process selection, property profiles will also favour suppliers who strive towards providing precisely the value-adding sides of the PM-part, improving the competiveness of the whole PM-business.