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PM90 — The PM world gathers at Wembley
r
ted the
Per Lindskog (centre) welcomed de/cgatu_~ to PM90 at Vemb/ey with Dr Edward s. chairman of the Motn Sweri1l8 Group (Ie t) an d Vic Tracey , chairman of the P.\190 Exhibitio n Committee (right)
R Oll
rin group
THE CHALLE. GF_'i FOR PM Fn lowing tho formal xtended y Dr. R. MPR July/Augusl1990
IV
1 0m
Edw 511
Institut in Darmstadt. Germany. in collaboration with seven European companies on sintered connecting rods for car engines. Such studies are in a very direct way helping to increase the scope ofPMand drawing the attention of design engineers to our technology. he said.
PROMOTING PM IN EUROPE AND EUROPEAN PMTO THE WORLD European powder metallurgists have long seen the need fora joint effortin promoting the technology. The European Powder Metallurgy Federation (EPMF) wasset up in 1986 as a link between professional organisations and learned societiesin a number of West Europeancountries under the chairmanship of Dr lvor Jenkins with the active support of the Institute ofMetalsand with MrRobert Wood from the 10M as secretary. Lindskog stated that it was soon realised that the EPMF needed a broader platform based on industrial membership. and the new European
Powder Metallurgy Association (EPMA) was founded on June6.1989. A new council of twelve prominent representatives from six different branches of the PM industry from Austria. Belgium. UK. France, Germany. Italy, Spain and Sweden, was elected. Lindskog. president of the EPMA. stated that the slogan of the EPMA would be 'to promote PM in Europe and European PM to the world'. He said that the EPMA has been registered in Brussels with an office centrally located in a 15th century mansion, and that Bernard Williams of Metal Powder Report has been recruited as full time executive secretary.
EXHIBITION The PM90 Exhibition organised on behalf of the 10M by the Max Brook Groupwas fully occupied by over100 stands and ran concurrently with the conferenceover the 5 day period. The scale of the exhibition once again allowed exhibitors to display
..eDO
r
512
if 11 .
production equipment (presses, furnaces. powder production, powder preparation and analysis; tooling. etc.), but many of the exhibitors expressed their disappointment at the flowof visitors to the show which was put at under 1,000 for the week compared with more than 5,000 which visited PM86 in Dusseldorf. Highlights of the exhibition are reported in this issue of Metal Powder Report.
TECHNICAL SESSIONS There were only three papers dealing with technical matters presented in Plenary session, and one other plenary session in which surveys of the PMscene in Europe,the USAand Japan were presented. Advanced alloy powders, their processing, properties, and applications werereviewedby Davies of the University of Sheffield. Much ofhis paper was concerned with rapid solidification and it was eye opening to see how extensively and to what a wide range of materials the technique
5
Pro f A Lawlev (Dm cl ron 'o n
tuulv ik A U}
Univursi ,v) ,
is being used. The author covered alloysof aluminium, iron, nickel and copper. and rare earth metals. In addition to rapid solidification, mechanical alloying and spray deposition were dealt with. In connection with the latter it was pointed out that for superalloys where the powder route offered the possibility of enhanced properties, one of the problems that had to be faced was that of inclusions. Fatigue was the theme of the second Plenary paper. As is well- known the fatigue properties of sintered materialsare markedly influenced by the presence of porosity and in the case of parts in the density range 6.0 -6.6g!cm3-into which largenumbers ofPMparts fall- the fatigueproperties are, to put it mildly, umimpressive. It is largelyforthis reason that the thrust of development has recently been towards increasing the density of PM parts. Sonsino's survey of the subject covered the fundamentals of fatigue and sought to bridge what he called 'the wide gap between materials scientists and design engineers'. Apart from the unsatisfactory I knowledge of material behaviour there is insufficient knowledge of influence of designs on that behaviour. So in addition to dealing with the aspects of sintered materials that affecttheir fatigueproperties and the ways of improving them. Sonsino covered. in detail, fatigue design criteria and concluded by listing the targets that the PM industry should aim at, The third Plenary paper by Brook dealt with engineering ceramics which for critical applications in, for example.gas turbines, are seen as the most promising means of achieving a major advance in performance. The high temperature strength and corrosion resistance are well proven. but serious doubts remain about performance reliability. Ceramicsare notoriously sensitive to the notch effect of flaws. and starting powder quality is of the utmost importance. Brook said that although it is a difficult technology, the rewards of success are high and the present picture remains exceptionally promising. The remainder of the proceedings were divided into three categories: 0) Paperspresented and discussed in two parallel sessions. (2) Posters for which verbal summaries were presented by the authors. (3)Posters which were displayed but not verbally presented. This arrangement seemed to work well although inevitably there were clashes, but in that connection the compactnessof the conferencecentre made commuting fromone session to another comparatively easy
MPR July/August 1990
comparative that is to Orlando. for example. Howe\·er. the attendance and discussion at many sessions was less extensive and less lively than at other conferences.
HARD MATERIALS AT PM90 P~f90 was. not entirely unexpectedly. a considerable disappointment to the small minority of hardmetals aficionados who attended. Although the meeting was part-sponsored by the British Hard Metal Association. pre· registered delegates from British hardmetal manufacturers could easily be numbered on the fingers of one hand (no list of late-registered delegates was issued). and there were fewer still from the US and most other parts of the world - with the notable and ,significant exception of Japan. This was surely not for want of trying. The Conference chairman. Dr Ron Edwards, is an eminent hardmetals man, and there were some excellent papers in this important area. Nevertheless, it seems hard to eradicate the idea - fostered for many years by important trade associations . that hardmetals (metallic in but essentially appearance
DrWinfi 'cor!H up ptnu
11(
c/ ll re-I.ti 'inB hi» a wurd frun, Ilr lvor lrn klns
(ri 'ht )
metal-bonded ceramics} are not really a part of the 'powder metallurgy' world. which is centred around copper- and iron-based materials,
rapidly solidified alloys. etc. A selection of hard material papers and those covering other aspects of PM technology presented at PM90
a n-lox iug
have been reviewed in this special issue. The majority of papers. including posters, are available in three printed volumes in which finding the paper you wished to consult involved a research programme of its own.
cial ivening at th»
EDUCATION PROGRAMME An interesting programme for students included a morning of talks by experts followed by a guided tour of the exhibition in the afternoon and a social programme in the evening. Optional extras were visits to Imperial College. the Ford Motor Co.• Fulmer Research. Hoybide Ltd, and the Thames Flood Barrier. Some 175 students, more than half from overseas. took part. and reports suggest that the whole exercise was highly successful. Such efforts will play an important role in making students more aware of the potential of PM as a production technology in whatever field they take up employment. and also hopefully encourage them to take jobs in the industry to help alleviate the shortage of skilled people.
PM'94 It has already been agreed that the next international meeting to be held in Europe will take place in Paris in 199-1. and it is expected that the EPMA. its organisation and staffing being now completed. will play a more active role in association with the French Metallurgical Society.
MPR July/August 1990
513
ted the
Per Lindskog (centre) welcomed de/cgatu_~ to PM90 at Vemb/ey with Dr Edward s. chairman of the Motn Sweri1l8 Group (Ie t) an d Vic Tracey , chairman of the P.\190 Exhibitio n Committee (right)
R Oll
rin group
THE CHALLE. GF_'i FOR PM Fn lowing tho formal xtended y Dr. R. MPR July/Augusl1990
IV
1 0m
Edw 511
Institut in Darmstadt. Germany. in collaboration with seven European companies on sintered connecting rods for car engines. Such studies are in a very direct way helping to increase the scope ofPMand drawing the attention of design engineers to our technology. he said.
PROMOTING PM IN EUROPE AND EUROPEAN PMTO THE WORLD European powder metallurgists have long seen the need fora joint effortin promoting the technology. The European Powder Metallurgy Federation (EPMF) wasset up in 1986 as a link between professional organisations and learned societiesin a number of West Europeancountries under the chairmanship of Dr lvor Jenkins with the active support of the Institute ofMetalsand with MrRobert Wood from the 10M as secretary. Lindskog stated that it was soon realised that the EPMF needed a broader platform based on industrial membership. and the new European
Powder Metallurgy Association (EPMA) was founded on June6.1989. A new council of twelve prominent representatives from six different branches of the PM industry from Austria. Belgium. UK. France, Germany. Italy, Spain and Sweden, was elected. Lindskog. president of the EPMA. stated that the slogan of the EPMA would be 'to promote PM in Europe and European PM to the world'. He said that the EPMA has been registered in Brussels with an office centrally located in a 15th century mansion, and that Bernard Williams of Metal Powder Report has been recruited as full time executive secretary.
EXHIBITION The PM90 Exhibition organised on behalf of the 10M by the Max Brook Groupwas fully occupied by over100 stands and ran concurrently with the conferenceover the 5 day period. The scale of the exhibition once again allowed exhibitors to display
..eDO
r
512
if 11 .
production equipment (presses, furnaces. powder production, powder preparation and analysis; tooling. etc.), but many of the exhibitors expressed their disappointment at the flowof visitors to the show which was put at under 1,000 for the week compared with more than 5,000 which visited PM86 in Dusseldorf. Highlights of the exhibition are reported in this issue of Metal Powder Report.
TECHNICAL SESSIONS There were only three papers dealing with technical matters presented in Plenary session, and one other plenary session in which surveys of the PMscene in Europe,the USAand Japan were presented. Advanced alloy powders, their processing, properties, and applications werereviewedby Davies of the University of Sheffield. Much ofhis paper was concerned with rapid solidification and it was eye opening to see how extensively and to what a wide range of materials the technique
5
Pro f A Lawlev (Dm cl ron 'o n
tuulv ik A U}
Univursi ,v) ,
is being used. The author covered alloysof aluminium, iron, nickel and copper. and rare earth metals. In addition to rapid solidification, mechanical alloying and spray deposition were dealt with. In connection with the latter it was pointed out that for superalloys where the powder route offered the possibility of enhanced properties, one of the problems that had to be faced was that of inclusions. Fatigue was the theme of the second Plenary paper. As is well- known the fatigue properties of sintered materialsare markedly influenced by the presence of porosity and in the case of parts in the density range 6.0 -6.6g!cm3-into which largenumbers ofPMparts fall- the fatigueproperties are, to put it mildly, umimpressive. It is largelyforthis reason that the thrust of development has recently been towards increasing the density of PM parts. Sonsino's survey of the subject covered the fundamentals of fatigue and sought to bridge what he called 'the wide gap between materials scientists and design engineers'. Apart from the unsatisfactory I knowledge of material behaviour there is insufficient knowledge of influence of designs on that behaviour. So in addition to dealing with the aspects of sintered materials that affecttheir fatigueproperties and the ways of improving them. Sonsino covered. in detail, fatigue design criteria and concluded by listing the targets that the PM industry should aim at, The third Plenary paper by Brook dealt with engineering ceramics which for critical applications in, for example.gas turbines, are seen as the most promising means of achieving a major advance in performance. The high temperature strength and corrosion resistance are well proven. but serious doubts remain about performance reliability. Ceramicsare notoriously sensitive to the notch effect of flaws. and starting powder quality is of the utmost importance. Brook said that although it is a difficult technology, the rewards of success are high and the present picture remains exceptionally promising. The remainder of the proceedings were divided into three categories: 0) Paperspresented and discussed in two parallel sessions. (2) Posters for which verbal summaries were presented by the authors. (3)Posters which were displayed but not verbally presented. This arrangement seemed to work well although inevitably there were clashes, but in that connection the compactnessof the conferencecentre made commuting fromone session to another comparatively easy
MPR July/August 1990
comparative that is to Orlando. for example. Howe\·er. the attendance and discussion at many sessions was less extensive and less lively than at other conferences.
HARD MATERIALS AT PM90 P~f90 was. not entirely unexpectedly. a considerable disappointment to the small minority of hardmetals aficionados who attended. Although the meeting was part-sponsored by the British Hard Metal Association. pre· registered delegates from British hardmetal manufacturers could easily be numbered on the fingers of one hand (no list of late-registered delegates was issued). and there were fewer still from the US and most other parts of the world - with the notable and ,significant exception of Japan. This was surely not for want of trying. The Conference chairman. Dr Ron Edwards, is an eminent hardmetals man, and there were some excellent papers in this important area. Nevertheless, it seems hard to eradicate the idea - fostered for many years by important trade associations . that hardmetals (metallic in but essentially appearance
DrWinfi 'cor!H up ptnu
11(
c/ ll re-I.ti 'inB hi» a wurd frun, Ilr lvor lrn klns
(ri 'ht )
metal-bonded ceramics} are not really a part of the 'powder metallurgy' world. which is centred around copper- and iron-based materials,
rapidly solidified alloys. etc. A selection of hard material papers and those covering other aspects of PM technology presented at PM90
a n-lox iug
have been reviewed in this special issue. The majority of papers. including posters, are available in three printed volumes in which finding the paper you wished to consult involved a research programme of its own.
cial ivening at th»
EDUCATION PROGRAMME An interesting programme for students included a morning of talks by experts followed by a guided tour of the exhibition in the afternoon and a social programme in the evening. Optional extras were visits to Imperial College. the Ford Motor Co.• Fulmer Research. Hoybide Ltd, and the Thames Flood Barrier. Some 175 students, more than half from overseas. took part. and reports suggest that the whole exercise was highly successful. Such efforts will play an important role in making students more aware of the potential of PM as a production technology in whatever field they take up employment. and also hopefully encourage them to take jobs in the industry to help alleviate the shortage of skilled people.
PM'94 It has already been agreed that the next international meeting to be held in Europe will take place in Paris in 199-1. and it is expected that the EPMA. its organisation and staffing being now completed. will play a more active role in association with the French Metallurgical Society.
MPR July/August 1990
513