The Path to Titanium Metal Powder Forming
Material: Titanium metal powder
Grade: As per requirements
Standard: According to the process standard
Diameter: The size of the powder particles is determined based on process requirements
Techniques: Additive manufacturing, hot isostatic pressing, metal powder injection molding, pressing and sintering, powder rolling, 3D cold printing
Surface: Sandblasting, anodizing, chemical polishing
From Dust to Masterpiece: The Path of Titanium Powder Molding
Recent years have seen significant advancements in titanium powder recycling technology, such as processes that convert waste titanium into powder suitable for additive manufacturing, enabling the reuse of the powder in high-quality component production for aerospace and other industries through deoxidation treatment.
Product Introduction
Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Titanium Series 11 Case
Titanium powder 3D printing
1. Raw Material Preparation: Before the printer begins operation, titanium raw material must first be atomized into titanium powder through gas atomization. This process requires precise control of oxygen content to mitigate the risk of titanium metal explosion under heat, which falls within the realm of advanced materials science. The powder diameter must be maintained at 50 microns, equivalent to extremely fine sand particles, to ensure stable melting and interlayer bonding.
2. Printing and Molding (Additive Manufacturing): Utilizing an array of square 3D metal printers, each machine is equipped with a six-laser galvanometer system. Multiple laser beams operate simultaneously in this innovative process, where lasers use recycled titanium powder to print and form layer by layer. Each case requires printing over 900 layers, with each layer's thickness precisely controlled at 60 micrometers. The molding time is approximately 20 hours.
3. Powder Cleaning: The powder cleaning process consists of two stages. Coarse Powder Removal: After printing is completed, the operator removes excess titanium powder from the build plate. Fine Powder Removal: Since the printed structure is already very close to the final shape of the watch case and features fully interlocking structures, residual titanium powder may still remain in the gaps of the case. Therefore, after coarse powder removal, ultrasonic oscillation is used to thoroughly clean the internal residual powder, ensuring durability and surface quality.
4. Separation Process: The 3D-printed prototype consists of multiple housing shells connected together. After the powder removal, adjacent shells are separated from the construct using a charged metal wire (wire cutting). During the cutting process, cooling liquid is simultaneously sprayed to reduce heat generated and prevent deformation.
5. Automatic Optical Inspection: Next, the automatic optical inspection system will measure each case to verify its dimensions and appearance for accuracy. This serves as the final quality check before the case proceeds to the final processing stage.
Advantages of Titanium Metal Powder 3D Printing Process
Reduce raw materials for environmental sustainability, cutting the usage by half compared to the previous representative model. Optimize the combination of plastic and metal, enabling printing of specific materials in locations previously inaccessible through forging processes. Ensure material performance: the 3D-printed titanium case maintains excellent performance after anodization, with high hardness remaining intact.
Environmental Contribution
Significantly reduce material waste: Traditional manufacturing of metal watch cases employs "subtractive processes" (such as CNC machining), resulting in a raw material utilization rate of only about 20%, with large amounts of titanium becoming scrap. In contrast, 3D printing, as an "additive process," uses only the required materials to build layer by layer, increasing material utilization to over 90%. Promote resource recycling: 3D printing utilizes 100% aerospace-grade recycled titanium powder, and the remaining unused powder can be recycled, further reducing reliance on primary resources through a closed-loop system. Support carbon neutrality goals: By minimizing material usage and processing energy consumption, 3D printing directly reduces carbon footprint.
summary
Apple's practice has demonstrated the feasibility of titanium 3D printing in large-scale consumer electronics production, with the technology now extending to the manufacturing of USB-C interfaces for the iPhone Air. This innovation provides a reference for the industry, driving additive manufacturing toward conventional production processes, particularly with advantages in the field of small and complex components.
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