Powder forge (P/F) processing has proven to be a viable method for manufacturing automotive connecting rods for years. The current challenges are to meet the demands for lighter weight connecting rods and higher fatigue loading while maintaining good machinability. While the traditional route for producing P/F connecting rods has been through the use of admixed Cu and graphite at various percentages, improvements were necessary without resorting to quench and temper processing which would significantly degrade machinability. This paper presents an innovative approach using prealloyed Cu iron powder to improve chemical homogeneity and mechanical properties over traditional admixed compositions while maintaining machinability.
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