Tooling in Spark Plasma Sintering Technology: Design, Optimization, and Application

Spark plasma sintering as the prominent field-assisted sintering technique (FAST/SPS) is a novel technology for the rapid, pressure-assisted consolidation of powder materials. The main feature of FAST/SPS is the direct Joule heating of the applied tooling. Tooling is a challenging part of the FAST/SPS setup, which must withstand high pressure at elevated temperatures and ensure a uniform temperature distribution in the sintered part. This review looks at the standard FAST/SPS tooling, the specific tooling for sintering complex-shaped parts, and for pressureless sintering. A particular focus lies on graphite, the commonly used tooling material, and on alternative materials such as steel, alloys, ceramics, and composites. The review also considers the add-on tooling elements, such as spacers, foils, and thermal insulation. Furthermore, the article discusses the basics of FAST/SPS modeling, and the computer-based optimization of FAST/SPS tooling, the procedure used, and the modeling accuracy. The review briefly describes the tooling and equipment for manufacturing upsized parts and large-scale production. In addition, the article considers the tooling for FAST/SPS sintering under high pressure (up to 1 GPa) and ultra-high pressure (over 1 GPa). The article concludes with an analysis of the challenges and prospectives for the smart design of FAST/SPS tooling.