UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
MECHANICAL & PRODUCTION ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
Manufacturing Processes and Metrology MECH 3002Y Tutorial Sheet Powder Metallurgy
1. Using five (5) practical/industrial examples, explain the main advantages of using powder metallurgy as a manufacturing process. 2. What are the normal size and weight of parts produced by the powder metallurgy technique? Why? 3. Outline the basic steps of the powder metallurgy (PM) process, justifying the importance of each operation. 4. Comment on the suitability of using the following materials for the powder metallurgy (PM) process: Zinc, cobalt, copper, tungsten, lead, tungsten carbide, tin. 5. Explain a technique to produce aluminium powder for the PM process. Justify your answer. 6. Which powder production technique(s) would be suitable to produce the following ISO 3252 particle shape: (a). Spherical. (b). Angular. (c). Dendritic. In each case explain the powder production technique (justifying your choice) and support with appropriate schematic diagrams. 7. Explain the main mechanisms by which the green strength of the compacted powder is achieved. 8. Explain the operation (through the PM process) where densification of the powder is achieved. 9. Explain the main problem which is likely to occur during the densification operation, and outline techniques which can be used to overcome the problem. 10. Explain a PM technique where compaction and densification are achieved through one single step. Discuss the advantages and limitations of this technique.

H.R/ February 2010