Great material, great technology: Element22 uses Headmade’s CMF technology for industrial Titanium 3D printing

The production facilities of Titanium specialist Element22 in Kiel recently welcomed a new member: the Formiga P110 SLS system from EOS. The reason for the new acquisition at Element22 is the implementation of the sinter-based 3D printing technology Cold Metal Fusion ('Metal SLS') from Headmade Materials for industrial Titanium 3D printing.

"We ourselves are innovation drivers and always on the lookout for better, more effective solutions. During technology screening, we came across the Cold Metal Fusion technology. The projects that we have already been able to realize with Headmade Materials in the past few months then completely convinced us," says Matthias Scharvogel, CEO of Element22 GmbH.

The advantages of the new technology have recently been demonstrated in Titanium series components for high-end bicycles, which among other things offer new possibilities in frame construction. New part designs and functional integrations can be implemented, while production costs can be reduced.

The demand for 3D printed Titanium components also comes from other sectors such as medical, aerospace and other high-end consumer goods. Element22 now also serves these sectors using the Cold Metal Fusion (CMF) technology.

When processing the Titanium feedstock from Headmade Materials on the EOS Formiga P110, the included polymeric binder is melted layer by layer to form strong green parts. These are then debinded and sintered to produce high quality Titanium components. The material properties are comparable to Powder Metallurgically produced parts (e.g. in Metal Injection Molding).

As a pioneer in Metal Injection Molding of Titanium, Element22 brings its experience, know-how and Intellectual Property relating to the downstream processes of debinding and sintering into the process chain. The existing equipment and process know-how, supplemented by the EOS Formiga P110, enable Element22 to get started immediately with economical additive series production.

"We are pleased about the expansion of our partnership with Element22 and that the Titanium specialist is relying in-house on our Cold Metal Fusion technology to move into industrial Titanium 3D printing. This also underlines our technology leadership in sinter-based Titanium 3D printing" says Christian Fischer, Managing Director of Headmade Materials GmbH.

 

About Headmade Materials

Headmade Materials GmbH, Wuerzburg, Germany, develops materials and processes for metal 3D printing of series components. The core of the technology is the sinter-based 3D printing process Cold Metal Fusion (‘Metal SLS’), which enables customers to produce metal components in series at low cost and at scale. By adapting the material, the process runs on available machinery from different manufacturers and greatly facilitates process integration and part certification. Headmade Materials offers customers on-site use of the Cold Metal Fusion process as well as 3D-printing services and consulting.

 

About Element22

Element22 GmbH, based in Kiel, Germany, was founded in 2011 and develops and manufactures Titanium components using various powder metallurgy technologies such as Metal Injection Molding (MIM), 3D Printing (3DP) and more. In addition, Element22 offers its customers services for all phases of development and production. Element22 has a production capacity of up to 75 tons of Titanium components, serving the medical, aerospace, sports and high-end consumer goods industries.