Method of making a through-hardened scale-free forged powdered metal article without heat treatment after forging

摘要

A method of making forged powdered iron base metal articles of high Rc hardness without need for further machining, surface treatment nor heat treatment after quenching comprising forming a pre-alloyed metal powder, compressing said powder into a briquette, sintering said briquette into a preform, heating said preform to a temperature above its austenizing temperature, forging said preform while above its austenizing temperature into a forged article, permitting the article to cool to approximately its austenizing temperature, and promptly quenching said forged article in a quenching batch.