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Your individual components made of electrically and thermally highly conductive pure copper
It is impossible to imagine many applications in everyday life and industry without the precious metal copper. Due to its very good thermal and electrical conductivity, copper is used in all areas where electricity or heat flow. Furthermore, even minor impurities of the material due to alloying elements can significantly reduce the conductivity. This makes additive manufacturing of 100% pure copper a highly sought-after field of application. Due to its many years of experience and development in additive copper processing, PROTIQ has in-depth know-how in this challenging process field. We use this to be able to offer you the highest quality on the market for additively manufactured components made of copper.
Properties of pure copper
Thanks to its properties, pure copper is the ideal material for manufacturing electrical and thermal conductors.
- Electrical conductivity: up to 58 MS/m
- Thermal conductivity: 400 ± 15 W/(m*K)
- Density: 8.9 g/cm³
- Tensile strength: 220 ± 10 MPa
Application areas for additively manufactured pure copper components: Their advantages
Additively manufactured heat exchangers and heat sinks
Due to its very good properties, copper has ideal prerequisites to find application as a heat exchanger. Due to the high thermal conductivity of the material, the heat absorbed in the material is optimally conducted and dissipated as efficiently as possible. Thanks to the advantages of additive manufacturing, additional geometries can be created that enable even more efficient heat transport. The components can be designed with complex structures such as three-dimensionally curved cooling fins or grids, which increase the surface area in the transition area. This optimizes heat transfer from the contact surface to the cooling water or air flow, thus increasing the efficiency of the entire process.
Prototypes for electronic components made of pure copper
In the development of new products and components, time and speed play a decisive role in order to be successful on the market. This also applies to products from the electronics sector. In order to be able to carry out reliable product tests with functioning prototypes as quickly as possible during the development phase, components are needed whose properties are as similar as possible to those of the series component. For components that conduct strong currents, such as current bars, this is electrically highly conductive copper. This makes additive manufacturing of 100% copper particularly important. With 3D-printed functional prototypes made of pure copper, tests can be carried out quickly and changes in the product can be implemented within a very short time. This gives you the speed advantages you need for a successful development process.
3D printed electric motors
The electrification of society and in particular of transport is a highly topical issue that will only become more important in the future. At the same time, the electromobility market is a highly competitive field where every increase in efficiency means an advantage. Additively manufactured components in the electric powertrain can generate these advantages. In the development phase of e-motors, 3D-printed prototypes of the hairpin winding, or a complex winding head offer the decisive speed advantages. Innovative 3D-printed sheet metal packages enable a higher packing density and thus an overall increase in efficiency of the entire electric motor. PRPTIQ's additive processing of pure copper makes it possible.
Pure copper inductors from the 3D printer
Coils for induction heating, e.g. for surface hardening, are usually made of copper due to the high flowing currents. In this case, the coils must be cooled with water from the inside and designed to be correspondingly hollow. This limitation makes inductor construction costly and difficult, because precision is critical to the quality of induction heating. This process is more efficient the better the inductor matches the shape of the workpiece to be heated and the more conductive it is. However, inductors from conventional manufacturing processes are limited in their possible complexity. Additive manufacturing, with its significantly increased design freedom, has therefore long since established itself as a manufacturing process for copper inductors. It enables the individual and precise manufacture of coils, with a complexity that would otherwise be impossible to produce, and within just a few days.
PROTIQ creates even greater added value by providing pure copper: in the future, your inductors or heat exchangers will not only be precisely tailored to your project, but will also have ideal electrical and thermal conductivity. This enables you to maximize the efficiency of your processes in two ways: on the one hand, you optimize the heating process, and on the other hand, you save time and costs in the production of your inductors. Create your individual inductors easily online.
100% copper: remarkable material properties, challenging process
Back in 2013, PROTIQ succeeded in creating an innovation for additive manufacturing by processing highly conductive RS copper. Until now, additive processing of copper was considered unfeasible. There is a simple reason for this: the chemical element reflects the radiation of conventional laser melting systems, so in the past only copper alloys with a high alloy content were used. However, with reduced copper content comes reduced conductivity and high electrical resistance.
PROTIQ – Your reliable partner for 3D printing
As a very special service, PROTIQ offers you a computer-aided optimization of your copper coils. By simulating your inductive heating, we can analyze the processes and create the ideal inductors for your application.
In addition, we support you in all topics related to additive manufacturing. Whether you have questions about the creation of 3D data, want to customize your copper inductor independently and individually in our online configurator, or want to get started directly with the ordering of your 3D project - we are happy to advise you! Thanks to years of experience and excellent technical know-how, PROTIQ is your competent partner in additive manufacturing.
