If I were to press numerous metal chips to form a puck...

does the induction system see this is as one puck or as numerous chips?

If the chips are not oxidized - if you don't have a lot of oil on the chips or if you don't have a lot of oxidation on the chips where you actually can see bare metal - and you make a metal puck out of it, then it will see the entire puck as a piece of metal. Depends also on how also on how much compression you get on it, if you can compress it to eliminate the air profits in between. The fewer air pockets you achieve, the better. It will behave as the solid, because in the end, a solid metal piece has no air pockets.