Japan-based Osaka Titanium Technologies Co Ltd (OTC) says that it plans to focus on the production of titanium powder for additive manufacturing (AM).
‘At present, production of parts through AM is attracting considerable attention from the aerospace and medical sectors, the main users of titanium sponge produced by OTC, and active research and development of this technology is underway among domestic and international firms,’ the company said in a press release. ‘As titanium and titanium alloys present problems such as high price, hard workability, high melting point, etc, utilization of AM technology is highly desirable, and demand for titanium powder as the raw material for this application will be expanded in the future.’
OTC already supplies its Tilop spherical titanium powder for applications in metal injection molding technology (MIM). The titanium powder is manufactured using the gas atomizing method, which does not use a crucible for melting and is a manufacturing process characteristic of minimal contamination by impurities, having an annual melting capacity of 150 tons, one of the highest-scale of production in the world. The powder has already been evaluated by sample testing as suitable for additive manufacturing at business organizations, universities and research institutions within the country and abroad, and has already been used to make 3D printed parts by some of OTC’s customers. However, OTC plans to continue to develop powders to suit future AM requirements.
This story is reprinted from material from Osaka, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
