Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho

Tokyo Sintered Metals Corporation

Shigehide Takemoto

Hiroshi Okajima

Mikio Kondoh

Mikio Kondo

Hitoshi Tanino

Yoji Awano

Nobuhiko Matsumoto

Toshitake Miyake

Masatoshi Sawamura

Naoki Miyagawa

Akira Sekiguchi

An iron-based sintered alloy of the present invention is an iron-based sintered alloy, which is completed by sintering a powder compact made by press forming a raw material powder composed of Fe mainly, and is such that: when the entirety is taken as 100% by mass, carbon is 0.1-1.0% by mass; Mn is 0.01-1.5% by mass; the sum of the Mn and Si is 0.02-3.5% by mass; and the major balance is Fe. It was found out that, by means of an adequate amount of Mn and Si, iron-based sintered alloys are strengthened and additionally a good dimensional stability is demonstrated. As a result, it is possible to suppress or obsolete the employment of Cu or Ni, which has been believed to be essential virtually, the recyclability of iron-based sintered alloys can be enhanced, and further their cost reduction can be intended.

Iron-based sintered alloy, iron-based sintered-alloy member and production process for them

A pressurizing forming process includes the steps of applying a higher fatty acid-based lubricant on a surface of a metallic workpiece and/or a forming surface of a forming tool, and forming, wherein a lubricating film including metallic soap is formed on a pressurized-and-contacted interface, at which the surface of the metallic workpiece and the surface of the forming tool are pressed against and are brought into contact with each other, in forming the metallic workpiece by pressurizing with the forming tool. The metallic workpiece and/or the forming tool can be heated prior to or in the forming step.

Pressurizing forming process and pressurized-and-formed member

This invention provides a method of forming a powder compact which can produce a high density compact under a high pressure and at the same time can reduce pressure for ejecting the compact from a die. This method comprises the application step of applying a higher fatty acid lubricant to an inner surface of a heated die, and the compaction step of filling metal powder into the die and compacting the metal powder under such a pressure as to force the higher fatty acid lubricant to be chemically bonded with the metal powder and form a metallic soap coating. Since the metallic soap coating is formed between the die and a compact, friction force between the die and the compact is decreased and ejecting pressure can be remarkably decreased despite of compaction with high pressure. Besides, a high density compact can be obtained owing to the compaction with high pressure.

Method of forming a powder compact

A method and apparatus for filling a cavity with powder wherein a pipe having holes for discharging gas is disposed in a powder box and gas is discharged into the powder in the powder box as the powder enters the cavity so that particles of the powder are movable relative to each other. Due to the gas discharge, the powder can enter the cavity smoothly without whirling up in the cavity and settling unevenly, so that a filling time period is shortened and a particle size distribution in the cavity is uniform.

Method and apparatus for filling powder

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Toyota, Japan

Shigehide Takemoto