Patent ID: 9180518
Filing Date: 2015-11-10
Classification: B22F

Abstract:
1. A method of forming a powder metal compact using a tool set including a die having a die cavity, at least one lower tool member, and at least one upper tool member, the method comprising: inserting the at least one lower tool member into the die cavity; filling the die cavity with a powder metal in a first fill step; lowering the at least one upper tool member to define a pre-compaction chamber, the pre-compaction chamber including a filled section that was filled with the powder metal during the first fill step and an unfilled section that is not yet filled with the powder metal; filling the unfilled section of the pre-compaction chamber with powder metal in a second fill step via at least one powder feed chute that extends through the at least one upper tool member into the pre-compaction chamber; compacting the powder metal along an axis of compaction to form a powder metal compact; and ejecting the powder metal compact from the die cavity; wherein the second fill step includes shuttling the powder metal from a hopper system to the at least one powder feed chute in the at least one upper tool member using a feed plate assembly including a sliding plate having at least one powder cavity of a metered volume formed therein, the sliding plate being moveable between a first position in which the at least one powder cavity is located beneath the hopper system to receive a charge of powder metal equal in volume to the at least one powder cavity and a second position in which the at least one powder cavity is placed in communication with the at least one powder feed chute in the at least one upper tool member to allow the charge of powder metal to be fed to the pre-compaction chamber.