i.materialise Introduces 3D Printed Copper Material

One of the widely used earthly materials is the copper. For more than 10,000 years, people use copper pennies to make creative arts, jewelries, and different kinds of tools.  Even after other materials and metals are being introduced and used worldwide, the copper remains in use. This kind of metal is inexpensive and easy to mine. More than just for coins, coppers are also used in electricity because it is a good conductor of heat. There are copper in most of the electrical wiring today, even in the cookware and kitchen ware. Some hospitals also benefit from this metal because of its anti-microbial properties that help prevent diseases from spreading throughout the area.

The Belgian 3D Printing services bureau i.materialise now includes the copper in the materials they offer. Along with other metallic materials like the gold, silver, titanium, raw steel, stainless steel, bronze, brass, and others, the copper is being used to create different objects. With all the possibilities in object creation, the i.materialise copper can be designed into different shapes for a wide variety of purposes. Any object or shape can be easily customized using this material.

Different objects that have complex geometries may be impossible and difficult to process, but with this material, anything can be achieved. That includes the copper 3D printed objects. The 3D printing is combined with wax and is processed using lost wax casting in traditional way.

The first step in copper 3D printing is to make a design and print it out. The printed design is then covered with a type of plaster of fine material to keep its design and details. The texture and the shape of the printed design should also be carefully followed to achieve its desired design. The plaster is then dried out to be placed in an oven. It should be baked for a certain period of time to melt and burn the wax. Once the wax is burned, you will have the cast of empty plaster. This cast will be your molding piece. You will fill it with melted copper and let it cool down to have your copper objects. Some finishing touches are necessary and you will need to remove any foreign objects from it for it to appear polished and perfect.

One of the reasons why many people prefer to use copper in creating different crafted objects is because of its reddish gold color and greenish patina. This greenish color usually comes out in the copper after it has been exposed to air. It makes the object beautiful and pleasing to the eye. The reddish gold color is the natural color of the copper in its finish product. Being finished with such gold color makes the object even more attractive. Although copper tends to tarnish and oxidize over time, it can be properly addressed by using a polyurethane or PU coating. This is used to slow down and preserve the copper object from oxidation and tarnishing. Now that the i.materialise relesead its version of the 3D Printed copper, more copper items and products are to be expected.