Pressung

Pressung is the generic term for shaping a material by applying external pressure to compact or deform it within a mold or die. It is widely used in manufacturing to produce near-net or finished parts from metal powders, ceramics, polymers, and composite materials. In German-speaking industries the term is also used specifically for the vinyl record production step of pressing records from prepared stampers.

Common methods include cold pressing, hot pressing, and isostatic pressing. In powder metallurgy, a fine metal powder is pressed in a die to form a green compact that may later be sintered to full density. In ceramics, pressing is often followed by sintering to achieve the final strength and microstructure. In polymer and composite manufacturing, pressing can consolidate powders or laminates and, if required, be combined with curing or sintering steps.

In vinyl record production, Pressung refers to the process of pressing heated vinyl between stampers to copy the groove geometry from a master recording. The quality control focuses on groove fidelity, disc weight, thickness, and surface finish. The process typically involves master lacquer creation, plating to produce stampers, and finally pressing the vinyl records before trimming and packaging.

Quality and process control are essential in pressing. Key considerations include achieving uniform density and dimensions, minimizing porosity or cracking, and controlling temperature, pressure, and dwell time. Variants include Kaltpressung (cold pressing) and Heißpressung (hot pressing), as well as isostatic pressing for uniform density. Pressing is often contrasted with forming methods such as extrusion or forging, though it may be integrated with sintering or curing in many material systems.