Titanium powder used to print automotive parts in 3D news

domain-b ^ | January 1, 2014

[Chode]

that with a used sintering oven and you're talking real homemade guns...

[tophat9000]

Am I reading right?..They have developed a system that takes beach sand, extract and produces titanium power then prints a titanium part?..that would be a dramatic game changer

[Ken522]

Titanium powder doesn’t cost more than a few cents a pound, right? /s

[Ole Okie]

I’d like to have some notion of the integrity of these printed parts before starting out on a trip in the wilderness. Maybe fine, but a little longevity experience might boost my confidence.

[Domangart]

And to think that this all started 25 years ago with a DARPA project to make airplane parts on Sacramento. Then on to tooth replacement. The next was proof of concept making a gun to drive the loony left nuts.

[Chode]

LOL, well, even at $400 per kilo that's more than a full size 1911... it's titanium, and it's not registered

sounds like money well spent 8^)

[null and void]

Political power grows out of the nozzle of a 3-D Printer.

[HangnJudge]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutile

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

CAn they do this with aluminum?

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

http://metalysis.com/

[Portcall24]

The powder is what makes paint white and from which the “M” on the M&M is made.

[HangnJudge]

http://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/224383

http://www.hindawi.com/isrn/metallurgy/2013/808413/

A unique electrolytic process of utilizing a composite Ti02electrode has been demonstrated to produce high purity titanium, as well as co-reduce other oxide compounds to their elemental form, thus electrolytically producing titanium alloys directly. The electrolytically produced titanium alloy powder can bemelt-free consolidated to billets for forming into titanium products at only a few dollars per pound. This program will demonstrate producing titanium alloy powder by unique electrolysis from Ti02-Mx0y composite electrodes. The titanium alloy powder willbe melt-free transformed to Grade 5 Ti-6A1-4V for well under $9.00/lb. finished part. Electrolytically producing high purity titanium alloy powder directly from Ti02/rutile at only a few dollars per pound constitutes a breakthrough, which has the potentialto expand the market for titanium by several orders of magnitude. Expanded markets include armor, automotive, aerospace, chemical process/corrosion resistance, etc.

[JRandomFreeper]

I would love to have some of my kitchen gear made out of titanium.

/johnny

[HangnJudge]

—I would love to have some of my kitchen gear
—made out of titanium.

With feedlot costs of titanium powder
at well under $9.00/lb
You very well may get your wish.

[bigbob]

Nice, but you still need a $700,000 SLS machine

[JRandomFreeper]

Expensive commercial kitchen gear is generally aluminum or steel, and each has problems. Non-reactive titanium would work well for some things.

/johnny

[right way right]

Build a diesel engine by printing it and you won't have near the gasket or leak problems that are so common with all internal combustion engines.
Do it cheap because failure of the engine will mean replacement.
Just one observation coming from a tech.
They need to be able to print parts as they are meant to live, in close tolerances with each other.
I can in-vision complete redesigns in injection and air fuel control by porting
control instead of the valves of today.
There are so many more possibilities.

This technology is huge.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Titanium dioxide is common and cheap.

[JRandomFreeper]

One thing about electronics gear, the price always comes down over time while capability goes up.

/johnny