Can you 3d print a titanium foam?

Can you 3d print a titanium foam? Like a sponge.
Bruce

Maybe?

SketchUp is a 3D modeling software that many people use to generate models that are then exported and 3d-printed… As far as actual printing capabilities or materials, you will need to look to companies that print professionally or that make printing machinery.

I, personally, have not, yet, heard of anyone 3D printing or milling titanium.

you can get some very cool 3d printed Ti bike parts watch this…

john

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Well, that was a new on on me! I learned something new today!

i.materialise offers 3D printed titanium with details as small as 0.25mm, so if your foam meets that specification and you have the 3D model of it, then you can 3D print titanium foam :slight_smile:

Here’s a link: Online Titanium 3D Printing Service | i.materialise

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Thank You Marcus

Hello Marcus,
You showed me a link to i.materialise.com. What I need is a mesh like
structure approximately 1.5 inches in diameter, in both 2.2 and 3.95 inch
lengths, with a central passage from end to end of approximately .30 inches
in diameter. This mesh we use now is stainless steel screen wound around a
central tube, the screen mesh is very fine, about 300 wires per inch. Is
this something that can be modeled and printed in titanium?
I am very interested in the possibility.
Bruce

My old “Honeycomber” tool [Pro-only] could perhaps do what you want [with a little forward thinking regarding your creation of the inner ‘foam’ you desire].
However, I recommend you do its works with your model / object scaled up - perhaps x10 [or even x100] - so that SketchUp’s 1/1000" tolerance doesn’t come in to play…

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That would mean that the wires are about 0.0847 mm apart so you require a much more dense resolution than what is commercially available.

Anssi

Hello Bruce,

Like Anssi said, the wire mesh is much too fine for the process I linked to, but the larger tubes might be doable. Even the larger tubes would require the removal of the support powder which may be problematic.