Australian metal 3D printer manufacturer Titomic has entered into an agreement with German international metal parts manufacturer C.A .PICARD. Together the partners will produce prototype 3D printed parts for extruders used in the production of a wide range of food & feed products, cellulose pulps, bio-sourced plastics and chemicals. Specifically, Titomic Kinetic Fusion (TKF) technology will be applied to C.A .PICARD’s single, twin and multi-screw extrusion systems.
“Titomic’s partnering with C.A.PICARD to additively manufacture their extrusion screw products showcases the unique capability of Titomic Kinetic Fusion to utilise tooling steels to be cost competitive against traditional metal manufacturing processes,” said Jeff Lang, Managing Director at Titomic.
“We believe that by partnering with visionary industry leaders like C.A.PICARD, Titomic can improve the efficiency of metal manufacturing and mechanical performance properties, providing real commercial benefits to our customers.”
Titomic KineticFusion Technology
The TKF process uses cold-gas spraying of titanium and titanium alloy particles to fuse dissimilar metals and produce strong structures without melting. The supersonic deposition of metal powders in this process has joined nickel, copper, and alloys such as stainless steel, Inconel, and tungsten carbide. This process has unlocked opportunities for the company and its customers to create unique materials and parts that are unobtainable using other manufacturing methods.
TFK customers include TAUV and Fincantieri Australia who are leveraging the technology for military and maritime applications. Titomic have also has signed a metal powder production MoU with China’s Sino-Euro Materials Technologies of Xi’An Co, Shaanxi Lasting Titanium Industry Co. Ltd and Japan’s Osaka Titanium Technologies Co. to distribute TKF in the Chinese and Japanese markets.
Manufacturing extruder screws with TKF
Extruder screws have, for decades, been the standard for continuous compounding of plastics and other materials requiring high-viscous kneading. They are also used globally in the nutrition and pet-food industries to mix, form, texturize, and shape food products under various conditions.
By producing prototypes screw extruders with the TKF method, C.A. Picard aims to reduce the current cost of said components and test potential improvements in wear resistance.
Once the parts have been tested and approved by the company, Titomic will negotiate a contract to supply the products from its TKF Melbourne Bureau for single, twin and multi-screw extrusion systems. These parts will then be distributed to over 50 countries, with the major markets in Europe, Asia, America and the Far East.
Michael Busenbecker, Global Head of Research and Development, commented on the agreement, “We are committed to producing the best quality parts for the Extruder market and are pleased to be working with Titomic to bring their state of the art Titomic Kinetic Fusion Process on board.”
“We believe that the future lies in finding efficiency without compromising on value and quality and we look forward to working with Titomic on this project.”
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Featured image shows a C.A Picard twin screw extruder. Image via C.A Picard.
