Researchers from the Institute of Machinery, Materials and Transport at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) have developed a technology for multi-material 3D metal printing, according to TV BRICS.
The innovation makes it possible to manufacture parts from several alloys – up to four – within a single technological cycle, according to the university’s website.
The approach allows a product to be created with multiple properties at once by forming zones made of materials with specific characteristics. Processes that previously required months of work can now be completed within one production cycle.
The SPbPU specialists tested the technology on more than 20 materials, including combinations of titanium, aluminium alloys, and shape memory alloys.
The results showed that the composition and properties of metals transition smoothly from one material to another, preventing defects at the joints.
This enables the joining of materials that are traditionally considered incompatible, such as aluminium and steel.
The need for multi-material structures arises when a product must combine contrasting properties, including hardness and plasticity, thermal conductivity, and corrosion resistance.
Such requirements are especially relevant in the medical field, for example, in implants made from titanium and cobalt-chromium alloys, which combine biocompatibility with specific mechanical properties.
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