The DENOFMA project, being jointly executed by UFSM, IHR, and FAURGS, with the participation of 9 companies, aims to develop new, much more economical single-use or limited-use tools for compaction processes in the manufacture of automotive parts/components using powder metallurgy. The project has financial support from the FUNDEP's MOVER program in line F (Dies for powder metallurgy), which aims to obtain a new class of tools manufactured from ultra-high-performance cementitious composite materials that will be a more economical and easier-to-produce alternative compared to those manufactured with steel.

 

The development will focus on compaction molds for initial and/or intermediate stages in the manufacturing of parts by powder metallurgy. Different components from the automotive industry will be investigated for manufacture by powder metallurgy. As the technological transfer of cementitious composite materials within the metalworking industry is completely disruptive, these new powder metallurgy molding tools will significantly contribute to increasing the competitiveness of the national industry, facilitating and reducing the costs of prototyping processes for new parts, as well as increasing the volume of components that can be manufactured using powder metallurgy. This development could even be transferred to other types of metalworking industries that could validate its potential. Started in April 2024, the project already shows promising results with materials that exhibit mechanical properties superior to conventional ultra-high-performance concretes, reaching compressive strengths of up to 370 MPa. At the end of the project, it is expected to provide a cementitious matrix tool (proof of concept) validated through performance tests in compaction processes.