APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LUBRICATING A WALL SURFACE OF A DIE CAVITY

摘要

The invention is an improvement in an apparatus for lubricating the wall surface of a die cavity of a compaction press in which a powder is to be compacted to form a three-dimensional article and from which the article will be ejected. The compaction press comprises a die with opposite top and bottom faces, provided with the die cavity spanning from the top face to the bottom face thereof. The compaction press further comprises a lower punch and an upper punch which movable within the die cavity for compacting the powder. The apparatus for lubricating the wall surface of the die cavity comprises supply means for supplying tribocharged particles of a lubricant material on the walls of the cavity prior to filling the powder, and venting means for venting excess gas and lubricant from the die cavity. The improvement comprises, as the supply means, an injector sealingly connectable to one of the top and bottom end of the die cavity for injecting the lubricant material into the die cavity; and, as the venting means, a vent passage located on an opposite end of the die cavity with respect to the injector such that the lubricant material injected into the die cavity travels in a one way direction from the injector to the vent passage.