PURPOSE: To prevent the cracking of a green compact when the compact is drawn from a metallic mold, by nitriding the surface of the mold for molding used in a powder metallurgical process.

CONSTITUTION: When metallic powder is press-molded and sintered by a powder metallurgical process, a die or an upper or lower metallic mold used to press- mold the metallic powder is made of nitriding steel such as high speed steel. The mold is subjected to prescribed hardening and tempering, and it is nitrided in a molten salt bath. Metallic powder as a starting material is press-molded in the resulting mold. When the molded body is drawn from the mold, local stress is not applied to the molded body, so the cracking of the molded body due to stress can be prevented.