Forming of Porous Micro-Features Using Hot Compaction

Porous metallic micro-scale features are becoming important in the modern industry. However, a mass production of such features is a challenge when robustness, cost-effectiveness, and high productivity requirements are considered. In this study, the fabrication of such porous micro-features using hot compaction was investigated. A hot compaction experiment setup was designed and fabricated, which was capable of high temperature operation (up to 700 °C), quick heat-up, and avoiding oxidation of workpiece and tools. A 3D thermal simulation of the experiment setup was conducted to understand the heat transfer characteristics of the system, which was used as a reference for the experiment. The effects of compression loading force and temperature on the compact quality in terms of powder consolidation strength and porosity were studied.