Manufacturing Dies and Punches for Preparation of Powder Metallurgical Mechanical Test Specimens

Abstract

A specific shape of the object made from the metal powders, is not new and confirmed from the practice of aged cultures and one such evidence is Ashoka Pillar in Delhi, India. For electric lamp filaments, tungsten powders strengthened with thoria which ensures the need of special manufacturing process i.e. Powder Metallurgy (P/M), which is as early as 19th century. Compaction plays a very important role in the entire P/M process, which has the intact relation with the object to be made. So the tools, dies in the compaction process are to be chosen with care which is scarce and costly in society. Hence, in the present work an attempt is made to select D2 steel and analyzed for chemical composition and mechanical properties according to ASTM standards. After confirmation of basic properties the die and punch for fabrication of tensile, flexural and impact powder metallurgical test specimens are machined according to ASTM B925–08 procedures on three-axis Computerized Numerically Controlled milling machine. Then the machined dies and punches dimensions are measured using line and end standard instruments and are confirmed with the values exist in the standard.