Heat treatment and sintering

Heat treatment
refers to processes in which workpieces are specifically heated to precise temperatures and then cooled in a controlled manner in order to optimize their mechanical properties. Various effects can be achieved with the aid of these processes, such as an increase in material hardness, strength, toughness or corrosion resistance. The material to be processed passes through various temperature stages over defined periods of time and is cooled in different media at varying rates depending on the material type and process. This ranges from slow furnace cooling to rapid quenching to adjust specific mechanical properties.

Sintering
represents a method of creating solids in which a solid mass of a wide variety of powder or feedstock mixtures are compressed by heating and under high pressure. This produces "end-solid" components from fragile green bodies at temperatures just below their melting point. During sintering, the particles fuse at the contact points, resulting in a compacted and stable structure. This process opens up the possibility of manufacturing complex components with targeted properties.