A method for a press apparatus is disclosed. The press apparatus comprises a pressure vessel including a heat insulated casing, within which at least one article is arrangeable. The press apparatus is configured to subject at least one article, which is or can be arranged within the heat insulated casing, to treatment. The method comprises, prior to carrying out the treatment of the at least one article using the press apparatus, heating at least a part or portion of the heat insulated casing using at least one heating means such that any amount of moisture present in or on the at least a part or portion of the heat insulated casing is reduced. Subsequently to the heating of the at least a part or portion of the heat insulated casing, the treatment of the at least one article using the press apparatus is carried out.

Embodiments of the present invention include a press base assembly, a strengthening ring for use with press bases and related methods. In one embodiment, a press base assembly includes a press base having a body that includes a piston cavity at one end. The body, at a second end opposite that of the piston cavity, may exhibit a desired geometry. A strengthening ring may be shaped, sized and configured to substantially mate with the geometry of the second end of the body and be placed thereover. For example, the geometry of the second end may be substantially circular exhibiting a particular diameter and circumference. The strengthening ring may have substantially circular internal surface sized and configured such that the strengthening ring is positioned on the second end of the body in a manner that results in an interference fit between the two components.

A sputtering target that includes at least two consolidated blocks, each block including an alloy including molybdenum in an amount greater than about 30 percent by weight and at least one additional alloying ingredient; and a joint between the at least two consolidated blocks, the joint being free of any microstructure due to an added bonding agent (e.g., powder, foil or otherwise), and being essentially free of any visible joint line the target that is greater than about 200 m width (e.g., less than about 50 m width). A process for making the target includes hot isostatically pressing, below a temperature of 1080 C., consolidated perform blocks that may be surface prepared (e.g., roughened to a predetermined roughness value) prior to pressing.

A high pressure press assembly along with related methods and components for the press assembly are provided. In one embodiment, a press assembly includes a first press base having one or more tie bar receiving holes extending therethrough. A second press base may also include one or more tie bar receiving holes extending therethrough. A tie bar extends between the first press base and the second press base. A tensioning assembly is operatively coupled to the tie bar to place the tie bar in tension.

A method of manufacturing a component comprising contacting a powder with a tooling comprising a main body and a removable element, applying a manufacturing process to the powder to form the powder into a component, removing the removable element from the tooling to form a recess, and inserting a separation tool into the recess to thereby apply a force to separate the component from the main body of the tooling. A tooling for forming a component from a powder, the tooling comprising a main body and a removable element which is removable from the main body to form a recess for the insertion of a separation tool to apply a force to separate the component from the main body of the tooling.

A method in a pressing arrangement is disclosed. The pressing arrangement comprises a pressure vessel arranged to hold pressure medium therein during use of the pressing arrangement, the pressure vessel including a treatment region therein, wherein the treatment region is arranged to accommodate at least one article. The pressing arrangement comprises at least one controllable pressure medium supplying device configured to transport pressure medium during a cooling phase from another region in the pressing arrangement to the treatment region, wherein the temperature of the pressure medium in the other region is lower than the temperature of the pressure medium in the treatment region during at least part of the cooling phase. The method includes adjusting at least one operational parameter of the at least one controllable pressure medium supplying device, to adjust the pressure medium supplying rate thereof.

Various embodiments of high pressure presses and related methods of manufacturing and operating such presses are described. In one embodiment, a cubic press is described having press bases with spacers disposed between adjacent press bases. Sets of two or more tie bars are also disposed between adjacent press bases. The tie bars are placed in a state of compression while the spacers are placed in a state of compression. During operation, the press bases may become displaced relative to one another such that additional tension is experience by the tie bars while the amount of compression experienced by the spacer is reduced. The tie bars exhibit a relatively small cross-sectional area as compared to the cross-sectional area of the spacer.

An apparatus for manufacturing an article from powder material including a first table, a second table rotatably mounted on the first table about a first axis and a third table rotatably mounted on the second table about a second axis. A hollow canister is supported by the third table. A vibrator is arranged to vibrate the canister. A first device is arranged to rotate the second table about the first axis and a second device is arranged to rotate the third table about the second axis. A hopper is arranged to supply powder material into the canister and a valve controls the flow of powder material from the hopper into the canister. A processor is arranged to control the valve, the vibrator, the first device and the second device to control the filling and packing density of the canister.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a light transmitting yttria member by using hot-press sintering. The present invention provides a method of manufacturing light transmitting yttria by performing hot-press sintering on a molded body made of raw material powder including yttria by using a hot-press sintering apparatus, in which the hot-press sintering is performed in a state in which a spacer is interposed between the molded body and a pressing surface of the molded body, and the spacer is made of heat-resistant metal which is substantially unreactive to the molded body at a sintering temperature. According to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture highly compacted light transmitting yttria having light transmittance of 80% by using a single hot-press sintering process.

A method and apparatus for removing a canister 12 from a component 18 by forming an opening 30 in the canister wall thickness 14, 16 and introducing a pressurised fluid into the opening 14, 16 causing hydrostatic pressure build up between an internal canister surface 14 and the component 18, leading to the removal of the canister 12. This method and apparatus obviates the need to expend significant machining or chemical processing to remove the canister 12.