Stame specialized in producing mechanical parts, of complex geometry and fair or good dimensional precision, through compaction and sintering of metal powders. Nowadays the company produces parts for various industry sectors, including household appliances. The range of mechanical parts is wide: gears, levers, ratchets, pulleys, claws, spacers and so on. Stame specialized also in producing very small sintered parts, even weighing less than one gram. “Mechanical sintered part production – the company explains – comes from metallic powder compaction followed by heat treatment. This technology begins with powder mixing of the required material (iron, steel, copper, aluminum and alloys, magnetic materials, etc.). Then, the powder mix is pressed within customized die tools in order to impart the component final geometry. Subsequently, the parts made of pressed powder have to undergo the actual sintering treatment. Such treatment is carried out in an inert atmosphere between 1120 °C and 1350 °C for a variable amount of time, followed by slow cooling or fast cooling in forced atmosphere (sinter-hardening). Sintering allows to pressed powder granules to bond with each other on the atomic scale so that components can develop the required mechanical properties. After sintering, parts can be finished or may require deburring processes, machining operations by chip removal, heat treatments or different surface treatments”.
