Titanium
Etching Your High-Strength, Lightweight Titanium
Elcon has two manufacturing lines dedicated to etching titanium at our facility in Silicon Valley. Titanium is a high-strength, lightweight, and corrosion-resistant metal particularly suitable for medical and aerospace applications. Its strength is comparable to that of stainless steel, though titanium is lighter weight and has a lower stiffness. Titanium’s biocompatibility makes it an ideal material for manufacturing medical implants, particularly for bone replacement applications such as maxillofacial surgery. Titanium is one of the only metals that allows for osseointegration where your body’s natural bone and tissue bond to an artificial implant.
Elcon is the only etching manufacturer on the US west coast that is ISO9001-2015, AS9100D, and ITAR-certified. Where required, we will use DFARS-compliant titanium. For brazed assembly projects, we recommend vacuum brazing using Grade 2 titanium, since it is compatible with most of our ceramics and braze alloys.
Titanium Overview
Titanium’s high specific strength, good fatigue properties, and lightweight make it an excellent alternative to aluminum. Titanium can be passivated for improved corrosion resistance and can handle conditions of up to 700°C, while aluminum has a limitation of only about 300°C for most high-temperature applications. Although titanium is roughly two-thirds heavier than aluminum, its inherent strength means it will have the same physical strength as aluminum using only a fraction of the material. The three titanium alloy types (Alpha, Beta, and Alpha-Beta) offer flexibility across many applications. Titanium is often used in aircraft jet engines and in spacecraft, as its strength and lightweight reduce fuel requirements and costs.
Our Capabilities
- Etching of all grades of titanium, including CP Grade 1, CP Grade 2, CP Grade 3, CP Grade 4, CP Grade 5, Grade 6A-3, and nitinol
- Etching of up to 0.040″ thick sheets ranging up to 22×12 inches
- Tolerances of ±.0005″ in many applications
Applications
- Medical mesh and plates
- Spinal implants
- Aircraft components
- Plate heat exchangers (brazed or diffusion-bonded)
- Orthopedic devices and implants
- Spacecraft components
- Alternative for aluminum components
