Powder Metallurgy: A Green Process for Sustainable Manufacturing

Powder metallurgy is a precision manufacturing method used across industries from automotive and aerospace to electronics and healthcare. Parts including a wide variety of gears, structural components, and more can be manufactured reliably and efficiently with this process. What’s more, it’s also an eco-friendly, green manufacturing method. The very nature of manufacturing powdered metal parts is an eco-friendly and sustainable practice, which Allied Sinterings is proud to provide as our manufacturing method.

Learn more about the process, the environmental benefits, and some examples from Allied Sinterings.

What is Powder Metallurgy?

Powder metallurgy begins by blending metals, alloys, binders, and other additives into a mixture for making parts. Because the raw materials are in powder form, it’s possible to adjust proportions to achieve very specific properties in the finished piece, such as lubricity, porosity, or corrosion resistance, and with a net or near net-shape.

The first step in the process is creating a mold in the exact shape and size of the part. This is usually made with a CAD file and CNC machining equipment. The powdered mixture is placed in the mold and compacted, which gives the part enough strength to remain solid when it is removed and transferred to a sintering furnace. These “green compacts” ride through the furnace on a conveyor belt and are heated in an environmentally controlled sintering furnace to just below their melting point. This allows the individual granules to form strong, permanent bonds. Sintered pieces may require additional heat treating for hardness and wear resistance, or may be ready for use after sintering depending on your needs.

Environmental Benefits of Powder Metallurgy

No Waste. Powder metallurgy is a near net-shape forming process that leaves little to no excess powder after molding, utilizing approximately 99.8% of total material. This minimizes waste and reduces overall costs.
Resource Efficiency. Allied Sintering’s powdered metals are made from scrap and recycled metal, which cuts down on the need for new production. Using precision molds helps eliminate defects or errors for fewer scrapped or reworked parts as well.
Reduced Carbon Footprint. Powder metallurgy uses less material than CNC machining would for comparable parts made of solid metal bars or blanks. It also eliminates most secondary processes like grinding, milling, or countersinking. This saves time and energy consumption.

Case Study Examples of Eco-Friendly Powder Metal Manufacturing

Allied Sinterings has a proven track record of delivering innovative miniature powder metallurgy solutions for various industries. Here are a couple of standout examples:

Planetary Gearset for High-End Lighting Controls

This single-stage gear set has five components: an input flange, output flange, planet gear, sun gear, and ring gear. Thanks to tight tolerances and precision manufacturing with powder metallurgy, operation is virtually noiseless. Allied Sinterings’ advanced process monitoring tools and state-of-the-art equipment enable intricate geometries that meet high quality standards.

Read the full case study here.

Powdered Metal Bevel Gear Design for Medical Instruments

Allied Sinterings developed a powdered metal bevel gear using 304 stainless steel for a critical patient care application. Focusing on design-for-manufacturing principles, we optimized the part for performance, quality, and cost-effectiveness. The finished component was compacted to a density of 6.77 gm/cc with tolerances of ±0.001 in.

Read the full case study here.

The Future of Green Technology in Powder Metallurgy

As industries strive to adopt more sustainable practices, powder metallurgy stands out as a method for manufacturing high-strength, high-precision components. In addition to stainless steel, aluminum, brass, bronze, and other pure metals, innovative and specialty alloys, binding agents, and lubricants are being incorporated in powder blends. This makes it possible to create materials with specific properties and microstructures that are tailored to a range of applications.

What’s more, many steps in the powder metallurgy manufacturing process can be automated for efficient production and greater personnel safety.

High-Quality Powder Metallurgy Services from Allied Sinterings

Allied Sinterings is proud to be part of the ongoing innovation in powder metallurgy, particularly pertaining to miniature parts. We have partnered with Fortune 500 companies as well as small OEMs, providing engineering support, CAD design, and careful quality assurance processes. We have worked with customers in the medical, consumer, industrial, and commercial sectors.