Application Areas and Development of Titanium 3D Printing

Titanium is one of the most commonly used metals in additive manufacturing and is used in a wide range of applications including aerospace, joint replacement and surgical tools, racing car and bicycle frames, electronics and other high performance products. Titanium and titanium-based alloys are valued across industries for their high mechanical strength, high strength-to-weight ratio, and better corrosion resistance than stainless steel, and the use of this material can make rockets and airplanes lighter, thereby saving fuel and increasing payload capacity. It can also be used to make lighter weight electronics, such as smartphones and VR goggles, as well as in the field of medical implants. And, by combining the inherent properties of titanium with the unique capabilities of 3D printing, the advantages become even more pronounced. So, what are the specific uses of 3D printed titanium?

3D printing allows titanium to be manufactured more efficiently while reducing raw material waste. As an additive technology, metal 3D printing typically uses only the materials needed to build the part, as well as a relatively small amount of supporting structural materials. 3D printing also allows for intricate designs, such as internal channels and hollow or lattice-filled parts to reduce weight in a way that is not possible with any other manufacturing method. With no molds or tooling, titanium 3D printing can create cost-effective, one-of-a-kind parts, such as patient-specific implants, prototypes, and research tools. examples of 3D printed titanium propulsion manufacturing, healthcare, and space exploration abound!

Titanium 3D printing has been widely used to produce a variety of products such as medical devices, high-performance bicycles, luxury watches, and consumer electronics in the hopes of delivering lightweight yet strong products through innovative, often customized designs.

3D printing allows for the creation of very thin-walled, complex titanium parts, often used to create cases such as the Panerai and Holthinrichs watches shown above, and Titanium Wire cases are rumored to be an upcoming component of the Apple Watch Ultra.

In the medical industry, 3D printed Titanium Welding Wire implants have been successful in spine, hip, knee, and extremity applications due to the metal's inherent biocompatibility and good mechanical properties, coupled with the ability of 3D printing to customize porous structures (resulting in osseointegration) and mass customization for better patient outcomes. 3D printed titanium implants are gaining regulatory approval and demand due to the fact that the majority of medical implants are manufactured to cover large numbers of people with the same condition, they are not suitable for everyone and people with rare diseases are often excluded. Now, with 3D printing, it is possible to produce implants specifically designed for individual patients

3D printed titanium is common in today's performance bikes. Titanium is used in cranks, brake grips, handlebars, chainstay hangers, and even full frames. Titanium is as strong as aluminum, as light as carbon fiber, and doesn't have the sustainability concerns of carbon fiber. Bike maker Carbon Wasp explains why it's ditching aluminum and carbon fiber in favor of 3D printed titanium for its latest aftermarket crank arms, saying, "We've come up with all sorts of creative ways to clamp the cranks to the derailleur shafts without squeezing the carbon fiber, but there's always a need for some kind of metal inserts, but gluing inserts into the carbon fiber would run into endless problems. carbon fiber ran into endless problems. After some prototyping, Carbon Wasp found that 3D printed lattice-filled titanium cranks are just as light as carbon, but stronger in areas that are very susceptible to impact. We still think carbon fiber is the best material for many other uses, including frames, but we're already looking at other titanium parts."