Abstract: A sealed container (10) of metal material is filled with powdered metal through a fill passageway (14) and sealed with a steel ball (24) forced into the fill passageway (14) of the container (10) while the container (10) is under a vacuum environment. Thereafter, a second cylindrical sealing plug (32) is forced into the fill passageway (14) to engage the first spherical sealing plug (24) and has a gas passageway (34) therein for allowing the escape of gases between the two plugs as the second plug (34) is forced into the fill passageway (14). The second cylindrical sealing plug is then welded to the container (10) about the upper periphery thereof and the gas hole (34) is sealed by welding so that the cavity (12) remains under a vacuum during the hot consolidating process wherein the container (10) is heated and subjected to pressure which is hydrostatically transmitted by the container to the powder within the cavity (12).

Abstract: A sealed container (10) of metal material is filled with powdered metal through a fill passageway (14) and sealed with a steel ball (24) forced into the fill passageway (14) of the container (10) while the container (10) is under a vacuum environment. Thereafter, a second cylindrical sealing plug (32) is forced into the fill passageway (14) to engage the first spherical sealing plug (24) and has a gas passageway (34) therein for allowing the escape of gases between the two plugs as the second plug (34) is forced into the fill passageway (14). The second cylindrical sealing plug is then welded to the container (10) about the upper periphery thereof and the gas hole (34) is sealed by welding so that the cavity (12) remains under a vacuum during the hot consolidating process wherein the container (10) is heated and subjected to pressure which is hydrostatically transmitted by the container to the powder within the cavity (12).