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titanium machined Lidar device part

Why Are Machining Titanium Parts More Advantage Than 3D Printing On Some Titanium Projects?

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3D printing & CNC machining are the two most often employed processes for prototype and low-volume manufacturing. However, because both approaches to manufacturing are fundamentally different — one is additive, while the other is subtractive — determining the best manufacturing method for your application is critical for streamlining product development, increasing efficiency, and ultimately producing higher-quality parts.

This article will compare 3D printing versus CNC machining and provide some recommendations on choosing the best process.

CNC vs. 3D printing

3D printing & Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining may provide several advantages when creating functioning prototypes and finished items. While both depend on computer-aided design (CAD) data and use various materials, the similarities stop there.

Apart from its high strength-to-weight ratio, titanium is very resistant to corrosion — caused by seawater, chlorine, and acids — and is non-toxic in large quantities. It makes it especially advantageous in the medical field, where implants and other medical equipment are often used.

Why use titanium?

Titanium, despite its high price, is a very popular material. Titanium is used for a variety of reasons, including the following:

  • Superior tensile strength
  • Corrosion resistance
  • An advantageous strength-to-weight ratio
  • Ductility
  • Excellent machinability
  • Alternatives for surface treatment
  • Recyclable

Titanium is often utilized in aerospace, automotive, and medicine for these reasons.

Titanium aerospace components include engine, airframe, rotor, and compressor blades. Indeed, aerospace is the primary driver of titanium production: two-thirds of all titanium produced globally is used in aircraft engines and airframes.

Titanium components are used in the medical field for surgical implants (such as long-term hip replacements) and tools. Additionally, wheelchairs and crutches are made of metal.

Why is titanium CNC machined?

Machining is usually the optimum production technology for producing the most precise and cheapest titanium components. To appreciate why to consider the alternatives. The tips of titanium cnc machining process as below:

The Tips of Titanium Machining

Manufacturers seldom cast titanium components. It is because heated titanium interacts severely with oxygen, and a large proportion of the refractory materials used in casting include trace quantities of oxygen.

While rammed graphite casting — employing an oxygen-free graphite cast — is a solution, it results in components with a very rough surface roughness that is unsuitable for most medical, aeronautical, and industrial applications. Titanium pieces may also be made using lost wax casting. However, this necessitates the use of a vacuum chamber.

Titanium 3D printing materials may be processed using a few different 3D printing procedures, including Selective Laser Melting (SLM), Electron Beam Melting (EBM), and Direct Energy Deposition (DED). However, these 3D printing equipment are prohibitively costly, and several sectors have yet to certify 3D printed titanium for safety-critical end-use components. A more recent method is to employ additive manufacturing to create titanium components.

In comparison to other methods, CNC machining is an accurate, safe, adaptable, and cost-effective method of fabricating titanium components.

Consider the following factors before you start machining titanium:

Heat buildup

When compared to more common metals like aluminum, titanium is more complex to work with and fabricate.

Galling

Compared to titanium alloys, commercially pure titanium is more susceptible to galling and built-up edges.

Workholding

Because titanium and its machinable alloys are less stiff than other metals, they need a firm grip during CNC machining.

The differences: CNC machining Vs 3D printing

Labor requirements

CNC machining necessitates using a qualified machinist to change the tools, specify the cutting path, and reposition a component to get the desired form.

3D printing, on the other hand, is an automated process that requires significantly less effort. Naturally, the file must be prepped for printing (including converting to STL and determining the best orientation), but the whole procedure should take no more than 30 minutes. Once the file is created, and the printer is set up, no intervention is necessary until the component is finished.

Production time

Various variables may influence production timeframes in both methods. The amount of the material for the component and its height are important aspects of 3D printing. Some features also need support structures, adding 5% and 15% to the printing time.

Cost

One of the benefits of 3D printing is its ability to produce complex components at a cheap cost, which is why it is increasingly being used in metal applications. The converse is true with CNC: the more complex the product, the slower the machining process and the more labor required, resulting in higher prices.

Other variables might influence manufacturing costs, such as material costs (CNC and 3D printing) and the cost of maintaining or replacing machines (CNC).

CNC machining technology

Dimensional accuracy and part characteristics

CNC produces structurally sturdy and dimensionally particular products because it cuts a part out of a solid block of material.

The sequential, layer-by-layer process of additive manufacturing, on the other hand, often results in weaker components than CNC. Metal 3D printing presents a unique set of challenges, with porosity resulting in inconsistent component strength.

 Material waste

CNC may generate a lot of waste since it takes material from the block that cannot be recycled.

Compared to CNC, 3D printing generates much less waste (between 1% and 3%), with certain technologies like Binder Jetting and SLS allowing any remaining material to be reused.

 Part size

Since CNC machining works with material blocks, it can manufacture large-scale parts relatively easily. Smaller parts and components work better with 3D printing, which is why large-scale AM systems are gradually making their way into the market.

 Post-processing

The surface polish of CNC-produced parts is excellent, and no further post-processing is usually necessary.

However, the post-processing  of 3D printed objects is virtually always required, depending on the technology used (removal of support structures, depowering, cleaning, polishing, etc.). To remove a batch of components’ support may take anything from 5 minutes to many hours, depending on the part.

  Conclusion

To summarize, no method is flawless or universal. While both techniques are capable and valuable, the most suited will depend on the material, geometric complexity, production volume, and budget. To determine the best option for your specific project, we recommend contacting a local or international agency seeking guidance. If you want to produce in-house, consider the equipment at your disposal and determine if it is suitable for the work at hand

titanium used in medical industry

How Are Titanium Machined Parts Used In The Medical Industry?

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The medical field is regarded as having few opportunities for mistakes. When making medical parts, the same rule applies. It is because the industry deals with human life, and even minor mistakes can result in serious health problems or even death. As a result, the titanium CNC machining technique used by machinists to produce medical parts must have the capability to support tight tolerances and accuracy measurements.

Titanium machining is the best of all machining processes for meeting these objectives. Aside from being able to machine a wide range of materials, it can also meet the specifications listed above.

Usage of CNC and Titanium Machined Parts in Medical Industry

Medical precision parts are made using CNC medical machining and titanium machined parts because it is compatible with most of the specifications required in this critical industry.

  1. Implants in Medical Industry

The fabrication of human body implants, including hip replacements and knee implants is one of the essential uses of Titanium CNC machining medical parts.

In most cases, medical professionals only require a modest number of implants. It means that injection molding, for example, will not be economical to employ. It is due to the fact that the production of mold will raise production expenses unnecessarily. Titanium CNC machining, on the other hand, allows machinists to reuse tools. They have no impact on production costs this way.

These are made of several metals, including titanium and polymers. CNC machining and titanium machined parts become a viable machining process as a result of this. It is owing to its versatility in terms of material compatibility. As a result, it is ideal for such manufacturing operations.

  1. Machined Instruments for Surgical Purposes

Titanium CNC machining is useful to make surgical tools utilized by medical personnel during surgeries, in addition to body implants. Surgical scissors, blade handles, biopsy tubes, saws, cutters, implant holders, forceps, spacers, clamps, plate benders, and other metal components may be included.

This CNC-machined equipment and tools for surgical purposes must be created with accuracy and care, and they must meet additional safety standards such as sterilization ease.

Because of the critical requirement for precision, medical device makers utilize Titanium CNC machining. Small production runs are required for some tools and devices. Some of them are also custom-made for each patient. As a result, CNC machining proves to be the most cost-effective means of making these parts. To ensure no surface flaws, medical precision items can be treated to complete surface finishing procedures using titanium machined parts.

titanium used in medical industry

  1. Electronic Equipment Machined Parts for Medical Industry

Surgical instruments have only one/ two pieces of metal. On the other hand, CNC machines is capable of making parts for considerably more complicated machinery like monitors of heart rate, X-ray machines, and MRI scanners.

Hundreds of thousands of separate parts may make up these pricey pieces of equipment, and many can also be produced using CNC machines. Small switches, buttons, levers, and bigger things like monitor housings are examples of machined equipment parts.

To avoid any potential of failure of machine, these components must meet high criteria, mainly since the equipment of a medical industry is frequently shifted across rooms in a hospital.

Unlike surgical tools and implants, these parts don’t have to be bio safe and compatible because they will not come into direct touch with multiple patients. Thus, a significantly more comprehensive range of titanium machining components and materials is available.

  1. Micromachining

It entails the creation of extra little medical parts, as the name implies. It is mainly employed in devices that are implantable, exploratory tools for surgical purposes, technology for drug-delivery, and similar applications. These devices also have a higher sophistication level wrapped into a small package. As a result, making them necessitates an excellent level of competence. It is the reason why CNC medical machining is ideal. It is because it is capable of handling higher levels of precision. The components can also have feature sizes of less than 50 microns.

Micromachining is used to create stents, pacemaker components, catheters, ophthalmic devices, systems of drug delivery, tiny screws for implants and various medical devices, tiny tubes of plastic, and more in the business of medical instrument machining.

Why Use Titanium?

Titanium is known to have a cutting-edge application in defense (Like the US’s titanium hulls and naval submarines of Russia) as well as the space exploration (it is used in commercial and government satellite technology). Apart from that, it’s also become a crucial component of the World’s modern medical industry. It is the 81st element of the Periodic Table and is widely known to contain properties making it indispensable in dental implants, reconstructive surgery, external prostheses, as well as cardiovascular devices.

What are some of these characteristics? Titanium, for starters, is exceedingly corrosion-resistant. After all, there’s a reason why metal is used in constructing US Navy assault submarines, which may stay fully underwater for months at a time. Seawater is highly corrosive. The human body’s interior, with all of its arteries and organs, is the same way: it’s not the best place for metallic items. On the other hand, titanium is excellent for surgical implantation since metal can survive corrosion and rust so effectively, especially when it comes to something as demanding as assisting in pumping blood through the heart.

Surgical and medical professionals value titanium’s strength and lightweight mass and thus prefer the titanium machined parts. Surgeons have been able to fit amputated troops with new titanium limbs, allowing them to partake in some of the activities they could do before their injuries.

Conclusion

Medical instrument machining necessitates precision and accuracy, which is why machining titanium is a good fit for the job. However, the method won’t matter if the correct people don’t handle the work.

titanium machined Lidar device part

How To Improve the Titanium Machining Technology?

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Titanium offers a unique property due to stiffness, outstanding corrosion resistance, toughness, low density, and excellent corrosion resistance. People who have seen a lathe machine or machining center know that cutting titanium sets complex machining demands. Titanium has several properties that make it a popular choice for aerospace and medical tools, but the same features may cause nervous breakdowns for machine operators. Using the right blend of application knowledge and tooling can help you correctly machine even the gnarliest titanium. Today, we will discuss the most important tips to keep in mind whenever you are titanium CNC machining.

Titanium CNC Machining

So, why is matching titanium a challenge?

Titanium has metallurgical characteristics and properties that make machining more challenging than other metals like cast iron and stainless steel. Titanium is an insulator by nature, the heat during machining stays near the cutting machine, blunting the tool, which creates more heat, and the process continues until the device fails. Another factor that makes titanium difficult for machining is that it is prone to work hardening. As titanium is cut, it becomes hard and even more abrasive to tooling. These are some of the challenges while machining titanium.

What are different types of titanium alloys?

Titanium alloys are known as a mixture of titanium and other elements. These alloys have very high tensile strength and toughness. Titanium is mixed with other parts to provide additional strength, flexibility, and malleability. Titanium alloys are used as various components like turbine blades and bio-materials. Different Titanium alloys come with their own unique set of properties and features.

Here are different types of Titanium alloys:

Pure titanium – Pure titanium is the easiest type of titanium with no alloying elements.

Alpha alloys – Alpha titanium alloys contain aluminum, oxygen, and/or nitrogen.

Beta alloys – Beta titanium alloys contain molybdenum, iron, vanadium, chromium, and manganese.

Mixed alloy – This is the mix of both alpha and beta Titanium alloys.

A glance at the evolution of Titanium Machining:

Around 15 years ago, titanium machining was a challenging and nasty job. Back then, titanium manufacturers were cutting blind and manufacturing parts through trial and error methods. Using hard metal techniques resulted in a costly process, demanded constant monitoring, and produced unpredictable outcomes. Today, end mills have perfect grinds and well-engineered geometries that manufacturers can cut hard materials like titanium without chipping or breaking tools.

Additionally, an adaptive tool from CAM software helps in achieving the steady and productive cutting of material. Another transformation in Titanium CNC machining is additive manufacturing technology, due to which high-torque is no longer required for rough milling, leaving only finishing operations for conventional machines.

titanium machined Lidar device part

Here are some tips for Titanium CNC machining:

Eliminate primary failure modes

 Choose a rake cutting tool with a rigid substrate and hard coating to avoid overheating. Also, a small T-land on the device’s cutting edge can help improve the tool’s functioning. However, avoid overdoing it as titanium is challenging and needs a sharp instrument.

Push the heat into the chip 

During machining Titanium, the low thermal conductivity traps heat that wreaks havoc on cutting tools. If your machine can handle the additional load, increase the feed rate to push some of the heat into the chip to make the machining tools last longer.

Increase coolant concentration

When cutting titanium, you need to maintain the copious flow of clean cutting fluid. To achieve this, increase the coolant concentration to 10 percent or more. Next, install a high-pressure pump of at least 500 psi to blast chips. Always, always use coolant-fed cutting tools to avoid catastrophic re-cutting of chips.

Choose the right tool

Invest in a high-performance machine tool if you want to achieve success in machining titanium. The high speed of the device can accelerate a chemical reaction between the chip and the tool material. Also, keep in mind that the tool should have good hardness and not react with titanium.

Be strategic

Plan and optimize the titanium machined parts process in advance. Analyze all of the part features, tall and thin walls, and hard-to-machine parts. Choose the right cutters, set the correct feeds and speeds, and generate code that meets the requirement analyzed before.

Titanium machining is not an easy task, but the material properties and usage mean that it is here to stay. As the use of titanium and its alloys continue to grow, more machinists will be dealing with titanium milling in the coming years. All you need to create a perfect blend of heat management, appropriate chip evacuation, correct coating to ensure success in machining titanium parts.

Apple Watch in Titanium Case

Titanium Case For Apple Watch Series 5

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Around 15 years ago ,Titanium has not been used widely yet ,because titanium machining is very difficult ,and the material is very expensive ,most of manufacturers had not the ability to work with Titanium. What’s more ,they lacked of titanium milling skills and experiences . At that time , it only applied for the aerospace and military installation upscale industry .Less common people can touch it .

However , today with the capability of manufacturing is improved and in progress rapidly. Due to Titanium has gained widespread applications in aerospace industries. They are light weight, possess high strength, have excellent fatigue performance and offer high resistance to a bad condition environment. Titanium has become more and more welcomed premium metal material, it has came into common people’s life . So you can see and touch it in our daily life.

The Premium Material For Watch Case

The list of titanium benefits and favorite properties is lengthy. This makes it incredibly useful for all kinds of industries, including the electronic products .Such as : Some of the most common uses for titanium are the case of consumer electronics product. Last year Apple announced that they launched the Apple Watch Series 5 with titanium case , it is as strong as stainless steel but much less dense, obviously the new premium material in the titanium watch case is lighter than stainless steel cases they made in the past years. Although the original material is expensive, it is really different .Titanium makes the most sense to compare with those aluminum ,stainless steel material choices for the Apple Watch .

Apple Watch in Titanium Case

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source : from the Apple Watch

What Is the Difference With Titanium?

1) Exceptionally strong, lightweight

2) Better prevention of scratch

3) Special characteristics to help it wear better over time.

4) More fashionable.

The Cost Factor

When a new product is launched into the market, in addition to paying attention to appearance and function, consumers also have a particularly important factor, which is price. Obviously, the cost will be increased too much for the whole watch product to use Titanium material as the watch case .People will have to consider it when they are going to buy it .Maybe many people are not affordable for this type of luxury. Apple Watch needs to consider improving the production process or vast production scale to bring the costs down, so that more and more people can accept reasonable prices range.

How Can We Help You ?

We are experts at machining Titanium prototype parts and low volume production ,if you have some projects which are related with Titanium components .We can provide custom Titanium CNC Machining services within the shortest possible lead times. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for a quote ,send us your CAD files and PDF drawings if have threads ,tolerances ,surface roughness,parallelism..etc requirements. You will see how we can be your strategic partner on your key projects .