Near-Net Sintered High Speed Steel Components for Automotive Applications

High speed steels (HSS) retain their hardness to higher temperatures than other ferrous materials and are widely used as cutting tools and wear resistant components. HSS compositions are well suited for cold compaction and sintering to practically full density. This paper provides an overview of the full density sintering technology with selected examples of commercial applications. Differences between full density sintering of HSS and techniques such as injection molding and liquid phase sintering as used for other materials, are pointed out. Then, considerations in selecting potential applications of near net powder metallurgy HSS components for automotive industry are discussed.