Electrical Resistance Sintering (ERS) simulation tool. Application to hardmetals
Abstract
Electrical Resistance Sintering (ERS) can produce a quick consolidation of electrical conductive powders by simultaneous application of pressure and electrical current. A model of the process has been developed, which integrates three actions, namely, thermal, mechanical and electrical. The model has been implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics, a finite element commercial program. This paper deals with the model fundamentals, validation process and first results of the simulation tool. Powder mass height inside the die has been monitored during the process. Model parameters have been tuned to optimally fit the experimental data. Examples of possible simulation outputs are shown.
