Prealloyed (PA) powder metallurgy is a technique where complex near-net shape titanium aircraft components are fabricated with low buy-to-fly ratios. This article describes the physical principle, mechanism, and simulation and modeling of metal can and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) processes involved in the PA powder metallurgy technique. It discusses the technical problems addressed in shape control and their solutions for understanding the advantages of powder metallurgy HIP.

This article discusses slurry molding that encompasses two distinct processes: plaster molding and ceramic molding. Plaster mold casting is a specialized casting process used to produce nonferrous castings that have greater dimensional accuracy, smoother surfaces, and more finely reproduced detail. The article describes three generally recognized plaster mold processes, namely, conventional plaster mold casting, the Antioch process, and the foamed plaster process. Ceramic molding techniques are based on processes that employ permanent patterns and fine-grained zircon and calcined, high-alumina mullite slurries for molding. The Shaw process and the proprietary Unicast processes are also discussed.

Casting can be done with either expendable molds for one-time use or permanent molds for reuse many times. This article lists the various methods used to fabricate expendable molds from permanent patterns. The methods include molding of sand with clay, inorganic binders, or organic resins; shell molding of sand with a thin resin-bonded shell; no-bond vacuum molding of sand; plaster-mold casting; ceramic-mold casting; rammed graphite molding; and magnetic (no-bond) molding of ferrous shot. The article tabulates a general comparison of casting methods and discusses the basic requirements of foundry molds.

This article provides an overview of the steps that are used in ceramics processing and related mechanical design considerations. It discusses various design approaches, such as the empirical design, the deterministic design, and the probabilistic design. The article presents a general process design flowchart for ceramic processing. Information on traditional ceramics and advanced ceramics is also provided. The article describes various ceramic forming processes, such as wet processing, plastic forming, dry processing, and machining. The factors for evaluating different ceramic forming processes are summarized in a table. The article discusses vitrification and sintering that generally pertain to ceramic firing and concludes with a discussion on firing process factors.