The additive manufacturing project team of PGJT, the leader of China's special powder alloy material, has recently completed the construction of the argon station and the matching commissioning of the atomization equipment. This indicates that the institute has made progress in the research of spherical titanium alloy powder preparation technology for 3D printing, laying a foundation for the industrial production of spherical titanium and titanium alloy powder.
It is reported that 3D printing metal powder materials include titanium alloys, aluminum alloys, bronze alloys, nickel alloys, etc. Titanium alloy powder is the most important link in the 3D printing industry chain of metal parts, and it is also the greatest value. Electrode induction aerosolization is one of the main methods for industrial production of titanium alloy powder in the world, and it is also the only method for domestic batch industrial production of 3D laser printing spherical titanium alloy powder.
The basic principle of gas atomization is the process of breaking liquid metal flow into small droplets and solidifying into powder using high-speed airflow. The prepared powder has the advantages of high purity, low oxygen content, controllable powder particle size, low production cost and high sphericity.
In 2015, the Institute of Titanium Technology Research Institute began preparations for the construction of a spherical titanium and titanium alloy powder preparation platform for 3D printing;
In 2016, the basic supporting and installation of the aerosolization equipment were completed;
In 2017, through a systematic study, the aerosolization equipment was preliminarily reformed, and the process of preparing spherical titanium and titanium alloy powder by aerosolization was opened, and qualified products with stable quality were obtained. The overall technology and product quality reached the international advanced level;
In 2018, we made a breakthrough in the preparation of spherical titanium alloy powder for laser printing, reaching the level of the world's top companies.
Since this year, the research institute's additive manufacturing project team has begun to move from laboratory research to industrial production. After successively completing the research on the matching of the argon station construction and the atomization equipment, the project team is relying on the market to gradually industrialize the laboratory research results and get rid of China's restrictions on high-end spherical titanium alloy powders as soon as possible. Passive situation.