Tool design and materials for electro sinter forging (ESF)

A near net-shape forming process represents a suitable solution to obtain the final product by avoiding secondary machining processes. In this field, electro sinter forging is capable of accomplishing the advantages of sintering in a reduced amount of time. Classified as a high field mode (HFM) process, the main requirement is the electrical current passing through the electrical conducting powder. To obtain this, a closed-die setup with electrical insulating properties was used. Furthermore, the alignment between the compacting punch and die needed to be ensured by pre-aligning or alternatively by using an alignment system. The present work is focused on the designing phase of a tool for the electro sinter forging of a disc, made from titanium powder. By applying a pre-alignment system, the setup resulted suitable for this application. A tool design for sintering rings is also showed.