Titanium 3D Printing Guide

Titanium is one of the most commonly used metals in additive manufacturing and is widely used in aerospace, joint replacement and surgical tools, racing and bicycle frames, electronics, and other high-performance products.
Titanium and titanium-based alloys offer high mechanical strength, high strength-to-weight ratio, and better corrosion resistance than stainless steel. The material could make rockets and aircraft lighter, saving fuel and increasing payload capacity. It can also make electronic products such as smartphones and VR glasses lighter. The same goes for medical implants. Furthermore, if you combine the inherent qualities of titanium with the unique capabilities of 3D printing, the advantages are multiplied.
3D printed titanium parts: GE Additive's hip joints, Sciaky's fan blades, Arcam Darker's rocket tips, 3D Systems' titanium lattice components, EOS's titanium stents, Zenith Tecnica's surgical spinal implants.
3D printing technology can make this expensive metal more efficiently with lower raw material consumption and less scrap. As a rapid prototyping technology, metal 3D printing typically uses only the amount of material needed to make the part, and relatively little support structure.
3D printing also enables complex designs such as internal channels, hollow or lattice-filled parts to reduce weight, which are not possible with any other manufacturing method. Because no molds or tools are required, titanium 3D printing technology can cost-effectively create one-of-a-kind parts such as patient-specific implants, prototypes, and research tools.
3D printed titanium has numerous applications in manufacturing, healthcare, space exploration and other fields. Let's take a look at why titanium is so suitable for additive manufacturing and its current applications.
1. Application of 3D printing titanium alloy
3D printing can create very thin-walled, intricate titanium parts, which is why it is used to make watch cases, such as the Panerai and Holthinrichs watches pictured here, which are rumored to be part of the Apple Watch Ultra.
In 2023, smartphone manufacturer Honor launched a new folding phone Magic V2, which uses a 3D printed titanium alloy hinge cover, which is lighter and 150% stronger than the previous aluminum alloy version. The company claims that this small piece of titanium metal can be printed into tens of thousands of titanium metal sheets through 3D printing technology, which is also the key to the product's long-lasting and smooth folding and unfolding.
Medical and Dental Implants

In the medical industry, 3D printed titanium implants have been successfully used in spine, hip, knee and limb joints due to the biocompatibility and good mechanical properties of the metal itself, coupled with the ability of 3D printing to customize the porous structure ( Achieve osseointegration) and mass customization, thereby bringing better treatment results to patients.
3D printed titanium implants are gaining increasing regulatory approval and demand. Since most medical implants are made for a large group of people with the same condition, they are not suitable for everyone. People with rare diseases are often excluded. Now, with 3D printing technology, it is possible to produce implants designed specifically for individual patients.
In 2023, a surgeon in the United Kingdom performed four wrist surgeries on the same day, using patient-specific 3D printed titanium plates to correct a previously broken wrist bone deformity. "Once this planning process is completed," said Dr Akshay Malhotra, consultant orthopedic surgeon and clinical lead for hand and wrist surgery at University Hospitals of North Midlands, Custom-made plates are printed using titanium powder, then tested, shipped to the UK and sterilized at the county hospital in preparation for surgery.
In 2022, doctors at Manipal Hospitals in India encountered a cancer patient whose tumor was destroying his ribs, so they turned to 3D printed titanium. Generally speaking, implants of this level are too heavy for the human body to bear, but because titanium is lightweight and strong, it is possible to 3D print patient-specific replacements weighing less than 250 grams. Thanks to the success of the 3D printed implant, the patient fully recovered and returned to his normal life without relying on external machines to help him breathe.
In a trial of ankle bone replacement surgery using patient-tailored 3D-printed titanium Talas bones, patients reported positive results. Bone replacement means patients do not need a total ankle replacement. The talus is a very specific anatomical feature of the patient, requiring a unique 3D part designed based on the patient's CT scan data.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a large number of 3D printed titanium implants in 2023, mainly involving spinal implants.
Restor3d's first all-metal (titanium) 3D printed ankle arthroplasty patient-specific device will be approved in 2023.
SurGenTec's posterior 3D printed titanium sacroiliac joint fusion system Tilink-P will be approved in 2023.
FloSpine's 3D printed implant for supporting the spine, the Tri-Largo Cervical Spine System, is set to receive FDA approval in 2023.
Eminent Spine's 3D cervical interbody fusion system (3D printed titanium configuration) will receive FDA approval in 2023.
ChoiceSpine's titanium Blackhawk Ti 3D printed cervical spacer system will receive FDA approval in 2023.
Corelink's Siber Ti sacroiliac joint fusion system (porous, nanosurface, 3D printed titanium implant) will receive FDA approval in 2023.
bike
3D printed titanium is almost common in today's performance bikes, where every ounce of weight counts and high strength is crucial. Used in cranks, brake levers, stems, derailleur hangers, and even full frames, titanium has proven to be as strong as aluminum and as light as carbon fiber without the sustainability challenges of carbon fiber.
Recently, bike manufacturer Carbon Wasp detailed why it is ditching aluminum and carbon fiber in favor of 3D printing titanium to create its latest aftermarket crank arms.
Speaking of full frames, bike manufacturer Angel Cycle Works says it 3D printed an all-titanium frame in one lightweight component, which shaves crucial seconds off race times and enables new design geometries . Its new superbike, called Heaven, is 400 grams lighter than the previous version. Another all-titanium alloy frame launched by Pilot this year is called Pilot Seiren. The road bike's frame is entirely 3D printed from titanium (divided into three parts). The company says that 3D printing titanium allows it to customize the bike to the rider's preferences, and the frame does not require any paint or coating.
In the aerospace industry, there are currently several titanium-based rapid prototyping parts in commercial and military use, and many other prototypes are in the process of being certified by the FAA. 3D printing titanium is prized for its low "buy-to-fly ratio," an aerospace term that refers to the correlation between the starting material weight and the weight of the printed part.
Several contract manufacturers specializing in the aerospace, defense and space markets, such as Primus Aerospace, StarHagen Aerospace and Zeda, have invested in 3D printers capable of producing titanium part prototypes and final parts.

In 2023, GKN Aerospace announced plans to build a massive 3D printing cell for 3D printing titanium aircraft structures as part of its new global technology center in Texas. The printer, called Cell 3, can make titanium parts five meters long.
manufacturing
Semiconductor manufacturer ASML turned to 3D printing titanium for completely different reasons. Now its titanium carrier tray preforms (used in wafer production) are 3D printed rather than forged, which saves 64% of raw materials. And it's delivered faster. Norsk Titanium, a metal additive manufacturing company using a directed energy deposition (DED) platform, is printing 80 kilograms (about 176 pounds) of near-net-shape preforms (used in semiconductor wafer production) with Ti64.
Norsk developed the preform with Dutch partner Hittech Group and, according to Norsk, it is used in ASML's lithography systems. ASML, also based in the Netherlands, has been one of the most discussed companies in the world amid the chip shortage in the past few years. Specifically, ASML is known for producing the world's only extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine.
Even the U.S. Navy has begun adopting 3D printed titanium to save time and money and eliminate dependence on foreign supply chains. Without domestic capabilities to manufacture the large titanium castings needed for high-performance centrifugal pumps, the Navy suffered from long lead times and a supply chain that utilized high-cost, carbon-intensive titanium raw materials. But soon, by cooperating with new domestic partners IperionX Company to produce recycled titanium powder and Carver Pump Company for rapid prototyping manufacturing, the Navy will be able to significantly shorten the delivery cycle of key parts, improve equipment availability, and sustainably recycle Building America's critical titanium supply chain.