Copper 3D Printing

3D-printed copper provides strong mechanical properties with high thermal and electrical conductivity

copper 3d printed part

Copper (CuNi2SiCr) is an alloyed copper material with excellent thermal and electrical conductivity. This alloy can be used in harsh environments where pure copper is not feasible. Copper is structurally stronger, harder, and has higher elongation when compared to AlSi10Mg, which also exhibits thermal and electrical conductivity properties. Final parts built in CuNi2SiCr receive stress relief application.

Primary Benefits

  • Good thermal and electrical conductivity
  • Better corrosion resistance than pure copper
  • Robust mechanical properties

 

Copper(CuNi2SiCr) Material Properties

 

 Resolution Condition Ultimate Tensile Strength Yield Stress Elongation  Hardness
Copper
(CuNi2SiCr) 		 High (20 μm) Precipitation Hardened 72 ksi 63 ksi 23% 87 HRB

 

 Resolution Condition Ultimate Tensile Strength Yield Stress Elongation  Hardness
Copper
(CuNi2SiCr) 		 High (20 μm) Precipitation Hardened 496 Mpa  434 Mpa 23% 87 HRB

Applications for 3D-Printed Copper

Copper (CuNi2SiCr) is an excellent choice when thermal or electrical conductivity are required.

  • Heat sinks
  • Heat exchangers
  • Resistance welding tips
  • Tong arms for robots
  • Busbars
  • Rocket nozzles
  • Heat exchangers/Heat sinks
  • Induction coils

metal 3d printers in a row

Related Resources

Metal 3D printing with copper
Blog

Metal 3D Printing with Copper Offers Excellent Mechanical Properties

Metal 3D printing with a copper alloy offers excellent mechanical properties with high thermal and electrical conductivity.
Read Blog
Rapid Manufacturing for Metal Prototypes and Production Parts
Guide

Rapid Manufacturing for Metal Prototypes and Production Parts

Learn about the material properties of hard and soft metals as well as the machining, molding, and 3D printing processes used to manufacture metal parts.
Read Guide
Metal powder is brushed away from a bed of intricate aluminum parts
Design Tip

Designing for Direct Metal Laser Sintering

Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) produces complex, durable, lightweight metal parts. Depending on the design, DMLS can be a reliable way to manufacture metal parts.
Read Design Tip
Metal 3D-printed part
White Paper

Combining Part Assemblies with Additive Manufacturing to Reduce Cost and Increase Performance

How to find the right opportunities to consolidate multi-part assemblies into single components with industrial 3D printing
Read White Paper