Evaluation of heat treatment of powder metallurgy products – report from practice
The lecture is focused on the technology of powder metallurgy with the main focus on control after its heat treatment. The lecture is designed as a general acquaintance with the issue, enriched with tips from practice. We will partly touch on the heat treatment itself as well as the general principles of preparation of metallographic samples. We will also focus on the common problems in the evaluation of porous parts and also on the practical problems that high porosity brings.
Sintered parts require thorough testing, especially after the heat treatment process. Here must be used high-quality metallographic machines for cutting, mounting and polishing to achieve perfect surface preparation, as a prerequisite for reliable analysis. In addition to the machines, proper sample preparation procedures and appropriate consumables must be used.
We will also show automated solutions, that provide sample preparation, which is convenient and reproducible. Such preparation is well suited for the control of large series of powder metallurgy products and ensures the consistent quality of each production batch.