Sintered iron in die making – the strong alternative

In addition to the classic materials for sliding guides such as steel and bronze, sintered iron has long been regarded as a strong alternative in die making. Thanks to its porosity, it is ideally suited for use as a slide bearing. It also offers high wear resistance and has very good emergency operating features. 

Structure and characteristics of sliding guides made of sintered iron

Sintered iron is one of the oldest products of powder metallurgy. In its production, metal powders of precisely defined composition and grit size are first pressed into shape under high pressure. This results in the so-called ‘green compact’. During the subsequent sintering process, the green compact is condensed and hardened below the melting temperature. This process gives the workpiece the required porosity and strength. In order to guarantee a high dimensional accuracy of the sliding guide elements, precision-grinding is carried out at the end.
The porosity of the material means that sliding guides made of sintered iron have a significant advantage over solid slide bearings – the oil collects in the pores, which serve as an oil depot. Combined with the solid lubricant MoS2 in the sinter layer, optimal sliding properties are achieved. 

Friction brings the oil to the sliding surface, and through the capillary action it retreats back into the sinter layer during machine downtime. In addition, the sliding guides made of sintered iron feature high wear resistance as well as very good emergency running properties without additional lubrication.

Sliding guide elements made of sintered iron at Meusburger

Guide bushes
For bushes, the steel 1.0503 with 50 HRC serves as the carrier material for the sinter layer. An optimal diffusion zone between the sinter layer and the steel sheath guarantees an inseparable molecular bond. Guide bushes are used in stamping dies with stroke speeds of approximately 50 m/min. and when medium transverse forces occur. The bushes are available with collar (E 5122) in diameters 20 to 63 mm and for gluing in (E 5152) in diameters from 12 to 40 mm. The VLS 250 fully synthetic high-performance oil is suitable for relubrication.

Flat guiding rails
Flat guiding rails made of steel with sintered sliding surfaces are used especially for transfer and large dies. They allow highest surface pressures and maximum sliding speeds. The E 6110 SIN flat guiding rails can be easily cut to length and machined as required.

As is usual at Meusburger, both the guide bushes and the flat guiding rails are available from stock.

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