The PMAI is the premier organization for Powder Metallurgy (PM) professionals in India and was founded in 1973. Activities of PMAI include one day workshops, two week introductory course every year on "Powder Metallurgy" for industrial personnel and prospective entrepreneurs and annual technical meetings. The publications of PMAI are: PM news letters, Transactions of PMAI, proceedings of One Day Workshops, who's who in PM in India.
The Powder Metallurgy Association of India has been Promoting Powder Metallurgy related activities over the past three decades.
Powder Metallurgy - or P/M - is a highly developed method of manufacturing reliable ferrous and nonferrous parts. Made by mixing elemental or alloy powders and compacting the mixture in a die, the resultant shapes are then sintered or heated in a controlled-atmosphere furnace to bond the particles metallurgically. Basically a "chipless" metalworking process, P/M typically uses more than 97% of the starting raw material in the finished part. Because of this, P/M is an energy and materials conserving process.
The P/M process is cost effective in producing simple or complex parts at, or very close to, final dimensions in production rates which can range from a few hundred to several thousand parts per hour. As a result, only minor, if any, machining is required. P/M parts also may be sized for closer dimensional control and /or coined for both higher density and strength. Most P/M parts weigh less than 5 pounds (2.27 kg), although parts weighing as much as 35 pounds (15.89 kg) can be fabricated in conventional P/M equipment. Many of the early P/M parts , such as bushings and bearings, were very simple shapes, as contrasted with the complex contours and multiple levels which are often produced economically today.