Dimitris Chasoglou

Manufacturing of Valve Bridge Component Utilizing Lean Alloyed Powders and Vacuum Sintering

Abstract Increasing the application area of powder metallurgy (PM) steels for manufacturing of high-performance structural components results in material saving, reduction in energy consumption, etc. In this study, feasibility of the manufacturing of valve bridge component for heavy duty engine utilizing lean alloyed powders and novel vacuum sintering approach, followed by low pressure carburizing, is studied. Three low alloyed steel powders were processed by conventional uniaxial pressing and sintering at 1120 and 1250°C in industrial vacuum furnace. The components were tested under high cycle fatigue testing, simulating real conditions of operation. Fatigue properties did not show significant dependence on the sintering temperature and were comparable to currently used reference cast material. Fracture surfaces of broken samples were analyzed to detect crack initiations and fracture mechanisms as well as quality of sintering. Results showed preferentially ductile failure, well developed sintering necks and clean pore surfaces, indicating good sintering. Tested material in combination with novel vacuum sintering process show to be an attractive alternative for manufacturing of this type of components for heavy duty engine applications.

Behaviour of master alloy during sintering of PM steels: redistribution and dimensional variations

Abstract The addition of alloying elements in low alloyed PM steels in the form of a master alloy gives the advantage of introducing oxidation sensitive but less expensive elements and also allows manipulation in composition adjustment to achieve desired properties. In this work, interrupted sintering trials of the Fe–2MA–0.5C (%) (MA = Cu based master alloy) are performed. The behaviour of the liquid forming master alloy, for instance in terms of liquid phase formation, alloying element redistribution and effect on the dimensional changes, is investigated. The results show that master alloy particles melt over a range of temperature, which is also supported by the thermodynamic calculations. The low swelling in the master alloy system, compared to a reference system of Fe–2Cu–0.5C, is attributed to the progressive melting of the master alloy. The mean diffusion distance of Cu in Fe at the interparticle boundaries is 5.8 μm after 34 min of isothermal holding.