As a general rule, sintered components can be machined in exactly the same way as the corresponding solid materials. It is standard for Dansk Sintermetal A/S to perform such processes as turning, drilling, thread cutting, milling and grinding on a large number of components.
There are a variety of reasons why the need for machining may arise.
Holes placed in the compaction direction may be made during compaction, but holes across the direction of compaction have to be drilled later.
Any threads required will be cut after sintering.
When a certain geometry for compaction reasons cannot be produced through powder compaction, milling may be required, and if extremely accurate tolerances are required with a view to smoothness, turning or grinding may be a possibility.