Hot consolidation of powder metal-floating shaping inserts

Abstract

An assembly and method for hot consolidating powder metal by heat and pressure in a container. The container is a mass of material substantially fully dense and incompressible with at least a portion which is capable of plastic flow at pressing temperatures and forming a closed cavity of a predetermined shape and volume for receiving a quantity of powder metal with the interior walls being movable to reduce the volume of the cavity for compacting powder metal into an article. A shaping insert is disposed in the cavity for defining a void in the article as the powder metal is compacted against the shaping insert. A force-responsive means allows relative movement between the shaping insert and at least a portion of the interior walls of the cavity as powder metal is compacted in response to a force reducing the volume of the cavity. In one embodiment the force-responsive means takes the form of a deformable projection extending from the shaping insert into a recess in the cavity whereby the projection will be deformed in response to a predetermined force to allow the shaping insert to move relative to the interior cavity walls. In another embodiment the shaping insert is supported by a press fit whereby the shaping insert is allowed to move in response to a predetermined compacting force. The force applied to the container may be applied by gas pressure in a gas autoclave or by pressing the container to cause plastic flow of the container mass.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.