High temperature densification behaviors of alumina powder compacts were investigated under hot pressing and hot isostatic pressing. An alumina part of valve-head shape was fabricated under hot pressing and its forming process was simulated by finite element calculation. an alumina powder compact encapsulated by a stainless steel container was also densified under hot isostatic pressing. Inhomogeneous deformations during hot isostatic pressing due to the canning effect were observed experimentally and predicted by finite element analysis.