New FKM guideline on the analytical strength assessment of components made of sintered steels

A static and fatigue strength assessment must be carried out for all highly loaded components made of sintered materials. While numerous rules and guidelines exist for components made of wrought or cast steels, as well as for welded structures, no recommendation for the strength assessment of PM-components was previously available. However, at the start of 2025, a new FKM-guideline was published, providing a detailed assessment approach that requires only density and hardness as input parameters. The relevant parameters, such as mean stress sensitivity or highly stressed volume, can likewise be derived from hardness and density. In addition, only a linear-elastic finite-element analysis is necessary, which determines the local stress and its distribution. This paper presents a comprehensive background on the derivation and offers an overview of the assessment approach.