Powder Compacting Press (PM)
Automated
Compacts metal powder into gears and bushings in a closed die, and re-presses sintered parts for sizing.
✓ Expert reviewed All content on this page has been reviewed by a senior motor engineer.
Selection criteria
Tonnage, number of punch levels, filling and density control, CNC or mechanical drive.
Supply chain
Led by German and Japanese specialists (e.g. Dorst, Tamagawa) with a growing number of Chinese makers in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Motor makers buy finished PM parts; multi-level CNC presses are what allow stepped gears with consistent density.
Buyer FAQ
- What does a powder-metallurgy compacting press do?
- It fills a die with metal powder and compacts it from top and bottom punches into a 'green' part — gears, bushings and structural parts — which is then sintered. Multi-platen presses control density separately in each level of a stepped part.
- Mechanical or hydraulic / electric press?
- Mechanical presses are fastest for simple, high-volume parts such as bushings. Hydraulic and servo-electric CNC presses offer programmable multi-level motion and better density control for gears and complex parts.
- What should I check on PM gears from a supplier?
- Density (and its spread between tooth and hub), sintered hardness, dimensional stability after sizing, gear-roll test results and, for oil-impregnated bushings, oil content and porosity.
Where it is used
Material processing
- Gearbox Gears (sintered steel / plastic)1. Mixing & compacting, 3. Sizing