PURPOSE: To obtain balls having excellent sphericity with virtually no consumption of an arc as compared to the prior art by spheroidizing powder of abrasion resistant metals by the arc then irradiating laser beams thereto.
CONSTITUTION: For example, powder of abrasion resistant metals such as Os, Ir and W or those metals added with ≥1 Pt, Pd, Ru is prepared. The powder of such abrasion resistant metals is first melted by heating with the arc in an inert gaseous atmosphere of Ar or the like in an extremely short time whereby the powder is spheroidized tentatively. The tentatively spheroidized bodies are irradiated with laser beams in an inert gaseous atmosphere of Ar or the like, whereby the abrasion resistant alloys melted by the heating are made spherical by surface tention. As compared to conventional methods using the arc, no electrodes are used in this method, or even if electrodes are used, the consumption thereof is reduced considerably, and the automation of production stages is made possible.
TSUNODA MASAO
IIJIMA TOYOTAKA
