ABSTRACT
Powder metallurgy (P/M) processes using sintering are able to form net-shaped
products and have been used widely in the production of automobile parts to improve
productivity. In this work, an experimental and numerical study on the substitution by
P/M in automotive parts was carried out. Aluminium alloy A356 powder was used in the
experimental part while stainless steel 316L powder was the material of choice in the
numerical study. The A356 powder was shaped by a uniaxial press then sintered at 520
ºC. The density, compressive strength, and hardness of the produced part were
evaluated and compared to the values for the same material produced by the
permanent mould cast process. In the simulation component of this study, ANSYS™
Finite Element software was used to model an axisymmetric flanged part via the LSDYNA
™ module using the geological Cap material model. The effect of density
distribution in the part was analyzed through the plastic strain that was generated. The
result was compared to the experimental density map.