Titanium

Titanium has the added benefit of being the strongest metal that can be readily printed in the same manner as 3D printing any form of plastic. This process allows titanium to be fabricated into any shape or part that is deemed necessary for any application. 3D printing titanium is quickly becoming more and more commonplace to the point where it will someday take the place of machining parts.

Titanium has low thermal connectivity making it a difficult metal to traditionally machine making it an ideal candidate for 3D printing. Titanium is a relatively difficult and expensive metal to produce, and machining down tends to waste a great deal of the metal, and thus wasting money in the process. However, the same titanium part that is 3D printed would have a minimal amount of wasted material because it is printed through an additive process. Modern CAD software also has the benefit of optimizing the printing of the final component which can lead to lighter-weight parts while retaining the same strength.

Industrial applications for 3D-printed titanium also include constructing custom replacement parts in the process of refurbishing or repairing older equipment. Doing so keeps those components performing as well as originally intended and extends the life of the machine itself. Titanium replacement parts tend to be sturdier than the original steel parts and thus would reduce the cost of upkeep on older equipment that would otherwise be costly or difficult to replace. Utilizing 3D-printed titanium parts can potentially keep older capable systems operational well past their intended life span.

With its lightweight and overall strength, the manufacturing applications are endless when 3D printing with titanium. In the foreseeable future, 3D printing could become the new go-to standard for manufacturing with titanium.