Energy Consumption in the Manufacture of Precision Metal Parts from Iron Powder

The energy requirements for making precision metal parts from iron powder, including the manufacture of the powder itself, were calculated using a representative processing model and energy data available in the literature. These energy requirements were found to compare favorably with available estimates for the steel making process. When the lower density of the powder metal part and the elimination of machining operations associated with conventional wrought and machined steel parts were considered energy savings as high as 50 percent were shown to be possible through powder metallurgy (P/M). The efficiency of the P/M process and potential areas for decrease in energy consumption were also highlighted.