Quality Assurance Procedures for Powder Forged Materials

The fatigue performance of powder forged parts can be better than that of similar components which have been cast or drop-forged. To achieve such properties, close control must be exercised over the powders from which the parts are fabricated and also over the process used to consolidate them.

This paper discusses some of the property requirements for powders intended for forging applications. Consideration is given to both the physical and chemical characteristics of the powders. Emphasis is placed on powder cleanliness and an automated image analysis technique for non-metallic inclusion assessment is described.

Process control requirements during preform compaction and powder forging are also covered and a magnetic bridge sorting technique for assessing the microstructural integrity of the forgings is also outlined.