PURPOSE: To miniaturize a press device itself by precompacting a powder by a metallic mold device at the position separated from a pressure device of a press device, transferring the metallic mold device which has completed precompacting to the pressing position of the press device to compact the powder.

CONSTITUTION: When the first metallic mold device 20 is located at the outside position P1 on the right, the powder WO is supplied to the inside of a container 23 and an upper metallic mold 22 is pressurized downward by a pre-pressurizing cylinder to precompact the powder WO. After precompacting is completed, while a pre-pressurized state being maintained, the first metallic mold device 20 is slid to the left by a carrying out and in cylinder 40. The metallic mold device 20 is then transferred onto a bed 1 of the press device 10 and set on the specified forming position. When the first metallic mold device 20 after precompacting is completed is compared with a condition before preformation, it becomes lower by a stroke carried out up to the precompacting height. Accordingly, the stroke length of a pressurizing cylinder 2 is shortened and the pressurizing cylinder 2 is miniaturized.