The question of electrification
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Fig. 8 Transfer case parts such as these are a major application area for PM in the automotive industry (Courtesy AMES)
that the evolution of PM parts’ usage in transportation will be slower than what the EV hype suggests, but that the material and geometric advantages of the PM process are likely to continue offering attractive solutions in this market.
Advancements in alternative and niche PM technologies in Europe Another clear trend for future PM applications is the broader use of Additive Manufacturing technologies. Here, again, the general perception of the future of AM is optimistic. AM is often perceived as a cure-all technology, with which it will be feasible to produce anything, and almost on your desktop. Sometimes, there even seems to be the belief that AM will substitute many other metal forming technologies, including traditional PM. It needs to be noted, though, that AM powders are extremely expensive,
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Powder Metallurgy Review
“Thus, PM continues to be a technology in active evolution both in Europe and worldwide and, of course, following ups and downs associated with phases in the world’s economy, it is likely not only to keep its position in important applications but to conquer new ones, even in the turbulent world of today’s automotive industry...” and are likely to remain more expensive than traditional PM powders, no matter how much their usage expands, since the production of powders can be considered a mature technology. Even traditional PM powders are considered a relatively expensive raw material compared to wrought and cast metals, with their cost putting an effective ceiling on the size of PM components. It is hard
Autumn/Fall 2021
to imagine how AM powders could ever become cheaper than today’s industrial PM powders. Additionally, the actual AM process is not cheaper than traditional press and sinter or MIM, and is not likely to become so. However, AM offers a lot of opportunities for manufacturing parts with geometries which are not possible using press and sinter PM or MIM – or at least, which could
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