The global powder metallurgy parts market is expected to grow from USD 23.17 billion in 2022 to USD 24.82 billion in 2023, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.1%. The Russia-Ukraine war has undermined the global economy's chances of recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, at least in the short term. The war between the two countries has led to economic sanctions in several countries, soaring commodity prices and disrupting supply chains, resulting in inflation of goods and services, affecting many markets around the world. The powder metallurgy parts market is expected to reach USD 31.62 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 6.2%.

Powder metallurgy (PM) is a processing method that uses metal powder as a raw material to make various products by pressing and sintering. It is one of the most popular metal parts manufacturing processes on the market today.

If you plan to have custom metal parts, then you need to know the latest price trends for metal parts manufactured through the powder metallurgy process. This article will give you a detailed introduction to how much powder metallurgy parts cost. Helping you decide if the powder metallurgy process is right for you!

Prices of Powder Metallurgy Parts

Material factor

This price list is for you to calculate the price and cost of powder metallurgy parts of different materials in 2023, and the specific price depends on your purchase quantity and materials.

Powder Metallurgy Parts	Unit price range (pieces)
iron material	$0.2 - $0.7
copper material	$0.5 - $3.0
stainless steel material	$0.2 - $1.3
aluminum material	$0.1 - $1.0
other precious materials	$2.0 - $10.0

Quantitative factor

If you need to purchase a large number of powder metallurgy parts, then you can refer to the following price list.

Quantity of powder metallurgy parts	Unit price range (pieces)
1000 pieces	$0.5 - $3.0
1000 - 3000 pieces	$0.45 - $2.8
3000 - 5000 pieces	$0.4 - $2.5
more than 5000 pieces	$0.3 - $1.8

Regional factors

The unit price of powder metallurgy parts in different regions will be affected by many factors, including material selection, part complexity, production scale and market demand, etc. The average unit price of powder metallurgy parts in the United States is $1.0, and the average unit price in many European countries is about $1.0, while the average unit price in Japan is only $0.8. However, you only need to spend about $0.5 unit price to customize a batch of powder metallurgy parts in China.

Selecting Powder Metallurgy Materials: Costs

To machine or not to machine?

Simply looking at the cost of raw steel vs powder is not a good way to compare your options. The advantages of powder metallurgy were revealed later. Since powder metallurgy is a net shape process, little or no secondary operations are required and there is minimal material waste.

Basic metal

The most common materials in powder metallurgy are iron-copper-carbon based materials, which have been developed to meet certain strength requirements. However, new applications require newer materials.

Depending on your application, you may need to focus on:

strength

Porosity

need heat treatment

toughness

magnetic

Corrosion resistance (stainless steel)

These factors determine your choice of materials, alloys and processing.

When you add alloying elements to the base material, the price goes up.

Iron is the lowest cost powder metal material. Pure iron is the cheapest, while more exotic iron-based materials are slightly more expensive.

Don't confuse low cost with low quality - iron powders have excellent performance characteristics in a variety of applications.

Powder Metallurgy Prices: Outlook

The powder metal industry has a long history of improving materials and processes that can replace traditional metal forming processes and reduce costs.

Just like real estate preaching "location, location, location", people have always been concerned about how customers can get the property they want at a competitive price? Engineers have historically needed to use processes like powder forging, which will give you a full density of 7.8 g/cm3. Full density greatly increases strength and durability, but doubles the price.

Standard press-sintering techniques have a maximum density of approximately 7.1 g/cm3. Double pressure and double firing is a popular method of increasing density, which can reach a density of 7.4, but the cost increase is huge. Some advanced compaction processes can achieve the same density, but at a lower cost than double compaction and double sintering methods.

If we can combine advanced compaction with high-temperature sintering, we could see further increases in density. We can take these processes a step further by combining advanced compaction with ultra-high temperature sintering to achieve a density of 7.6 g/cm3 without the high cost of powder forging.

Advanced Compaction and UHT Sintering

So what is the relationship between density and process and the performance of components?

Take a look at Powder Metal vs. Machined Parts and Investment Casting. You can achieve full density and its associated benefits, but at a cost. These are certainly viable technologies, but cost prohibitive for many projects.

This brings up the question "what is the cheapest powdered metal material?" Instead, ask "How do we balance materials and processes to arrive at a productive compromise?"

To that end, some powder metal manufacturers have invested in technologies that don't necessarily achieve full density, but may come close enough. With advanced compaction technology, you can achieve part weights of up to 7.4 g/cm³ and achieve good material properties at minimal additional cost.

Typically, when the industry tries to reach that density level, it takes the second green dot approach (dual pressing and sintering). But again, the cost loss is huge.

If you combine advanced compaction with high temperature sintering (dark blue dot in the middle), you can increase cost efficiency. You can take this a step further with ultra-high temperature sintering (dark blue dots on the right). Even with UHT sintering to get densities well over 7.4 g/cm3, you're still not at the cost level of the twin-press, twin-sintering processes offered by many powder metallurgy manufacturers.

Talk to your partner

In the end, the powder metallurgy manufacturer will always follow the buyer's specification. But having your manufacturer as a partner in the design process may help optimize your components.

Small parts manufacturers with experience with advanced materials can steer customers toward affordable, high-performance products.

Thanks to H&Z focus on advanced compaction methods and innovative sintering practices, we offer the opportunity to substantially improve the performance of powder metallurgy parts, often competitive with conventional forged materials.

Powder metallurgy costs are only half the story

Everything you've just read should act as some sort of pricing model if your components fit into a mold using powder metallurgy.

At the heart of PM is efficiency, and new technologies and non-traditional MPIF material options allow you to reduce manufacturing costs without sacrificing high-performance designs.

Work with your powder metal parts manufacturer to find the best value for your parts. This may mean that you will be encouraged to experiment with different material choices and mixes.

If you have more questions about powder metallurgy cost and specific material cost, please feel free to contact us. You can also use the button below to ask us questions about how we can make your metal part designs better, smarter and more affordable.

Powder Metallurgy Parts Price