Latest Discovery: large 3D printed titanium alloy complex parts trial-produced successfully

Laser selective melting is a kind of metal 3d printing method, it takes laser as heat source, scans the metal powder according to the discrete shape data of the parts, makes the metal powder melt and pile up one by one, and realizes the direct manufacturing of the metal parts. The metal parts fabricated by this method have excellent mechanical properties, high surface quality and high dimensional accuracy, which is a research hotspot in the field of metal 3d printing. The complex titanium component, made by Li’s team, measures 250 × 250 × 257 mm and weighs more than 21 kg.

It is reported that titanium alloy has excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, in aerospace, chemical, medical and other fields widely used. In the process of metal laser 3D printing, there will be very high residual stress, and the problems of stress deformation and crack in the forming of complex structure parts are always the biggest challenge of metal 3d printing, when titanium alloy laser 3D printing, these problems are even more acute. Professor Li Zhenhua and his team have done a lot of preliminary work in powder and composition control, component structure and location optimization, support design and stress release, remote monitoring and so on, in order to complete the large-scale complex titanium alloy parts printing, and therefore what they have done significantly accumulated valuable experience for further development.

The Kunming University of Science and Technology has made great strides in 3D printing research in areas such as aerospace, medical, and tooling. At present, more than 5,700 undergraduate students enter the center each year to study and carry out innovative activities, and more than 50 professional and technical personnel and doctoral and master’s degree students are engaged in research at the center.