Compression Ratio – the amount of material required to make the specific length of the component under high density compaction. Typically, the ratio is a 2 to 1 fill meaning that if the part is 1” in length you will need 2” of fill. Synonymous with fill ratio.
Wall thickness – is the area between the tools that form an internal feature and an outside feature of the part. Components with long, thin walls can experience both fill and part ejection issues making them difficult to process. A wall thickness of a minimum of 0.060 inch (1.52mm) is recommended. When using multi-action tools, a wall thickness minimum of 0.100”is recommended however, wall thicknesses should be in the range of 0.125” to 0.200” if pushing to higher densities.
Die Cavity, punches, core rods – major tool set members for compaction of the component. Note that multiple upper and lower punches may be necessary to form multilevel components.
Levels – the number of steps in the component geometry. There are single level parts and as well as multilevel parts that require complex tooling and sophisticated compaction presses that allow the tooling components to move independently achieving uniform density within the part.
Tool factor – compressibility is the capacity of a metal powder to be compacted uniaxially in a closed die. Growth/Shrink factor of the specific material is used to target the dimensional requirements of the finished component.
