Titomic and C.A. Picard have entered in an agreement, together they will 3D print prototype parts for extruders used in the production of a wide range of food & feed products, cellulose pulps, bio-sourced plastics and chemicals. Titomic’s 3D printer technology, specifically Titomic Kinetic Fusion (TKF), will be applied to C.A .PICARD’s single, twin and multi-screw extrusion systems.
“Titomic’s partnering with C.A. Picard to additively manufacture their extrusion screw products showcases the unique capability of Titomic Kinetic Fusion to utilize tooling steels to be cost competitive against traditional metal manufacturing processes,” said Jeff Lang, Managing Director at Titomic. He continues, “We believe that by partnering with visionary industry leaders like C.A. Picard, Titomic can improve the efficiency of metal manufacturing and mechanical performance properties, providing real commercial benefits to our customers.”
Unlike most metal AM the TFK doesn’t melt the metal to make a structure, TKF process uses cold-gas spraying of titanium and titanium alloy particles to fuse dissimilar metals and produce strong structures. Using this method they can produce material unobtainable with other manufacturing methods, an example is the joining of nickel, copper, and alloys such as stainless steel, Inconel, and tungsten carbide.
Extruder screws have been the standard in the pet-food industry to mix, form, texturize, and shape food products under various conditions. C.A. Picard wants to use the TKF method to reduce the cost and improve the wear resistance of the screw extruders, once tested and approve Titomic will supply the products for single, twin and multi-screw extrusion systems.
Michael Busenbecker, Global Head of Research and Development, commented on the agreement, “We are committed to producing the best quality parts for the Extruder market and are pleased to be working with Titomic to bring their state of the art Titomic Kinetic Fusion Process on board.” Continued, “We believe that the future lies in finding efficiency without compromising on value and quality and we look forward to working with Titomic on this project.”
Jackson, Beau, et al. “Titomic and C.A. Picard to Improve Industrial Screw Extruders Using 3D Printing.” 3D Printing Industry, 2 July 2019, 3dprintingindustry.com/news/titomic-and-c-a-picard-to-improve-industrial-screw-extruders-using-3d-printing-158018/.