If you’re in the market for a new printer, you’ve probably come across i.materialise 3d printing. It’s an online 3D printing service that combines world-class software and large-scale manufacturing capacity to provide you with premium 3D-printed consumer parts. The company offers expert know-how throughout the process, from designing the object to printing it. We’ve gathered some of the best features of the service below.
Materialise 3D printing
i.materialise 3D printing is an online service where you can create and sell your own 3D designs. You can even sell your creations! With a large variety of materials and colors, you can customize your design for a high-quality 3D print. You can print as many copies as you like, and you can scale them as high as you like! The software is very easy to use, and you can choose the design size and color as needed.
Materialise began with a single printer, the MakerBot, and in 2004 developed 3-matic software to help engineers design 3D prints without the need for costly CAD software. It later acquired OBL, a medical device manufacturer that specialized in custom cranio-maxillofacial implants, bringing personalized designs to medical procedures. After a decade in business, Materialise launched its new website i.materialise, which allows designers to share 3D models with other users.
Materialise NV has recently expanded its presence in the Middle East by partnering with 3DVinci, a provider of affordable 3D printing services. The deal was announced during the GITEX technology expo in Dubai. The move is intended to expand Materialise’s 3D printing platform in the region, and will help consumers access high-quality, personalized 3D prints. Unlike most other 3D printing services, i.materialise also has facilities in Beirut and Dubai.
Titanium
In recent years, the rise of the 3D printing process has led to the use of titanium for orthopaedic devices. By 2020, the medical industry will consume as much as 274,000 kilograms of titanium. While the medical and aerospace industries have embraced titanium 3D printing, the automotive industry has been slow to embrace the new technology. While the automotive industry is very cost conscious, titanium 3D-printed parts will soon be found in luxury and racing cars.
In order to successfully 3D print titanium models, it is important to select an appropriate design program. Titanium is a strong metal and works well for printing complex shapes. The most common software for 3D printing titanium models is i.materialise.com. If you are considering this material for your 3D printing needs, you should know that the printing process is similar to that of other metals. The only difference is the type of software used for the printing process.
Another advantage of titanium is its ability to reduce the weight of aerospace components. The buy-to-fly ratio (the proportion of raw material purchased to the final weight) for titanium aircraft parts is often as low as 12 to 25 kg. For comparison, you need to buy twelve to twenty-five kilograms of titanium wire to make one kilogram of titanium aeroplane part. Those are impressive numbers! When used properly, titanium 3D printing can significantly reduce the weight of aircraft components.
In addition to using titanium for 3D printing, this material is strong enough to support the weight of a complex model. It is also inexpensive, meaning you can print parts in several different colors and polish them to a beautiful shine. Another advantage of titanium 3D printing is its high precision. This material has excellent strength and is ideal for making high-end models. You can choose any material for 3D printing, and it is available in titanium, tungsten, and carbon fibre.
The downside of titanium 3D printing is that you cannot scale the details up or down. This is due to the low dimensional accuracy of titanium powder. Moreover, the process can produce very fine details that are just a few millimeters thick. In fact, a titanium 3D printer can produce fine details, with a distance of only 0.25 mm between the model wall and its detail surface.
Copper
i.materialise 3d printing uses copper to create the copper parts that are part of a new metal filament. This new material is quite expensive and requires more adjustments than standard filaments. Copper may turn green over time. It is not possible to print copper parts using a standard 3D printer. However, service providers can print copper objects for reasonable prices. In this article, we’ll discuss the process and what we can expect from copper filament.
First, a master model is created for the copper object. The copper filament is then preheated and attached to a low-friction coil holder. This prevents the copper filament from tearing. Then, powder metal is fused with a laser. The metal then separates into thin layers and is then removed with compressed air. A closed chamber is needed for this process. Copper filaments are much cheaper when printed in larger quantities, so copper objects are a great option for high-end jewelry.
For a copper 3D printed model, the minimum wall thickness is 0.5 mm, while the minimum detail thickness is 0.3 mm. The maximum size of the print is 88 x 63 x 125 mm, which is comparable to other materials. The company also offers wax 3D printing. Copper 3D printing is also possible with wax. Its copper 3D printing process also makes it possible to print complex objects without a model.
The use of copper for 3d printing has many advantages. Copper is known for its reddish-gold color that comes out naturally. However, copper is also susceptible to oxidation and cannot fully be prevented. It will eventually show up as greenish verdigris and tarnish. Copper is also a good choice for materials in the aerospace industry, as it is recyclable. If you are considering using copper for 3D printing, read on to find out how copper can benefit your project.
In addition to copper’s benefits, it also offers electrical and thermal conductivity. With these properties, copper is perfect for the 3D printing process. Manufacturers can use copper to create low-volume production parts, tooling, and functional prototypes. It’s easy to design, print, and use. You’ll be surprised how versatile copper can be. This material has so many applications and it will soon become the metal additive manufacturing method of choice for engineers.
Ultrasonic additive manufacturing
This technology has numerous potential benefits, but it is not without its drawbacks. One such problem is the effect of ultrasonic additive manufacturing on printed electronic tracks. The increased resistivity is related to the type of polymer binder used in the printing process. An electrochemically conductive thermoset polymer binder can increase resistivity by 150 times. However, the conductive particles may be dislodged from the paste, resulting in a broken conductive path through the paste.
Another major benefit of UAM is its ability to join different metals. By using this technology, engineers can create various metal objects that are otherwise impossible to make with conventional methods. This method allows engineers to make microchannel heat exchangers for Oak Ridge National Lab. Because it uses a relatively low temperature, this method is ideal for building metal parts and structures. Although it has limitations, it is gaining in popularity as a way to make complex designs.
TWI is an industrial membership-based organization that provides support to the industry and its members. Through the expertise of its experts, TWI helps companies improve their performance. TWI has over 600 companies worldwide, spanning the entire industrial spectrum. Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) uses ultrasonic technology to create metallic components from 3D models. The technology utilizes bond-then-form technology, low-temperature ultrasonic welds, and CNC trimming of metal layers, allowing the fabricator to achieve a specific geometry and accuracy.
Another technique, ultrasonic welding, allows engineers to join two pieces of material without melting them. The process combines ultrasonic vibrations that occur at 20 hz with a mechanical assembly. The ultrasonic waves “rub” the metal together, causing friction to break the oxides between the two pieces. The process allows successive layers of material to be built up, and the excess material can be milled off.
The deformation of the printed tracks plays a major role in the change in resistivity. In addition, the initial thickness of the tracks affects this change. A series of different thicknesses of Ag-TP were printed on top of each other and the resistivity was measured after a medium ultrasonic setting. This measurement shows the effect of deformation on the initial cross-sectional area of the tracks.
