As a supply chain management and sourcing company, we not only face the situation of helping our clients develop new parts with our multi-process collaborative experience but also often encounter some clients who want to change the original production process of their parts to achieve the purpose of cost reduction.
Here are 3 main factors that we have to consider when we want to make a part by sintering technology.
1. Material selection
Choose iron-based, copper-based, or stainless steel-based material according to your requirement.
Macro(apparent)hardness 20~25 HRC，density 5.8~8.3 g/cm³，tensile strength maxmium 225,000 psi/1550 Mpa.
The 3 most common material standards:
MPIF 35, US standard
Common format: FC-xxxx, example: FC-0205, means 2% Cu, 0.5% C.
DIN 30910, German standard
Common format: Sint-X00, example: Sint-C11, means 1~5% Cu, 0.4~1.5% C.
JIS Z2550, Japan standard
Common format: SMF-xxxx, example: SMF-4050, means 1~5% Cu, 0.2~1.0% C.
If you know a similar material code on your old drawings from the engineering or design company, it is easier to start the work to request for quotation.
If not, welcome to leave a message to me, I'll reply to you with my advice soon.
2. Structure design
To revise the design suitable for sintering production.
2.1
Because the profile and sizes are provided by mould, the compacting direction is up and down, if there's a horizontal hole design, we have to drill it by post-machining, it will reduce the production efficiency and increase the extra cost.
2.2
For the thin-wall part, the single sidewall thickness must be over 1.5~2 mm.
2.3
Design draft angle 5~15°for the vertical face to help the demoulding and avoid the post-machining process.
2.4
You can evaluate a rough value for the required production equipment.
To compact a green part with targeted strength, every square centimeter will require 4~7 tons' force by the pressing machine.
If the supplier doesn't have such a big pressing machine, he maybe is telling a lie to you or outsourced the pressing process to other factories.
Our engineer will provide professional advice for design optimization.
3. Cost-effective
The approximate mould cost investment will be $1000~$20,000 depended on the size of the parts.
The sintering technology can provide a daily output of up to 15,000 pieces per mould, and very good dimensional consistency provided by mould.
But we have to consider the average mould cost for every part before you make the decision to convert the original technology(pure machining, casting, forging, stamping, etc) to sintering.
Get in contact with us if you need a proposal for sintering parts.
