P/M aluminium components are attracting interest in an increasing variety of industries
due to the possibilities for weight saving in engineering parts. There are many processes for
manufacturing from powder feedstocks that are either in production, becoming commercialised or
still undergoing development. The nature of these processes and the required properties of the end
products mean that powders of different particle size, shape, composition and microstructure must
be produced.
The requirements of various processes requiring aluminium and aluminium alloy powders for metal
matrix composites, laser sintering, powder forging and metal injection moulding are discussed in
relation to powder particle size and structure. The key requirement of the powder manufacturer is to
supply cost effective materials for these different processes. This may require compromises to be
made by the supplier and consumer while the techniques evolve from development to large scale
production.