Process for the production of a component by producing a molding using a metal or ceramic powder as the starting material

A process for the production of a component comprising steps of:

• producing a pre-compacted body by transporting a loose metal and/or ceramic powder as a starting material in a stream of gas and applying the powder starting material to an inner wall of a gas-permeable mold under reduced pressure, the pas-permeable mold comprising ceramic grains held together by a heat sensitive binder;
• and
• sintering the pre-compacted body by heating the body in the gas-permeable mold to a sintering temperature, the gas-permeable mold having a mechanical strength sufficient to support the body as the body is heated from room temperature to just below the sintering temperature, the body having a strength which increases sufficiently to maintain its shape as the binder, in turn, loses its strength, and thus its supporting action as the body is further heated to the sintering temperature, the binder partially or completely evaporating and/or burning away during sintering of the body.