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

Abstract

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.