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ABSTRACT
A new sintering method is developed for fabricating large, 3-dimensional, open-cell metal foam parts using milling or friction stir welding machines. Temperature and pressure required for sintering are achieved by plunging and moving a rotating tool against a sacrificial top sheet in the setup. Predefined tool paths are used to compress and sinter the powder mixture in a die cavity. In this paper, the method was used to fabricate open-cell copper foam plates using sintering and dissolution process (SDP). Samples with different porosities were fabricated. Produced foams have uniform mechanical properties, pore morphology, and porosity. Further, their mechanical properties are seen to be on par with that for copper foams fabricated using other sintering methods reported in literature. Except for top sheet, the setup can be reused any number of times. The developed process is robust, cost-effective, operator friendly, and easy to use.