Patent ID: 7211217
Filing Date: 2007-05-01
Classification: B22F,B30B

Abstract:
1. A process for the manufacture of cutting plates comprising the steps of: providing metal powder and a metal powder press, compacting the metal powder in the metal powder press, and sintering the compacted metal, wherein: the metal powder defines a volume and has an upper region and a lower region; the powder press has: at least one upper ram positioned above the metal powder, at least one lower ram positioned below the metal powder, and a controller device, the upper ram having a non-linear pressing surface, the upper and lower rams both being actuated by a hydraulic press; the controller device: storing a pre-determined total amount of energy to be applied to the powder, actuating the upper ram until the upper region is compacted into a desired configuration then stopping the upper ram, determining the amount of energy expended by the upper ram, subtracting the expended energy from the pre-determined total amount of energy to be applied to define a second energy value, actuating the lower ram and then stopping the lower ram once the second energy value has been reached, the desired configuration of the upper region of the compacted metal powder having a pre-determined density and forming a non-linear cutting edge along the top of the upper region, the non-linear cutting edge comprising at least one groove, the density of the lower region being different from the density of the upper region.