Extending the lifecycle of a Concrete Nozzle

Jun 11, 2024 | Knowledge Base

Meltio’s technology is standing strong among many sectors and guess how construction just got easier with our 3D printing solutions.

The main function of the deposition nozzle is to bridge the gap between raw material and the final product. Unlike traditional nozzles prone to wear and tear, ours is crafted from Stainless Steel, ensuring longevity and resilience. But that’s not the only reason that made Cementos La Cruz to choose Meltio.

Keep reading to discover the process and the benefits of this outstanding application printed by our industrial metal 3D printer, the Meltio M600.

Cementos La Cruz: focused on sustainable construction

 

Cementos La Cruz is a company located in Abanilla, in the Region of Murcia (Spain), focused on developing low-carbon footprint cementitious materials for sustainable construction. Their firm commitment to improving the construction industry has led them to develop new materials that allow them to improve the environmental behavior and performance of all our products.

In their 3DLAB they developed a unique additive manufacturing technology to create concrete with a 3D-printed nozzle made of stainless steel.

A traditional manufactured steel nozzle with traditional problems

 

They realised that with a steel nozzle, manufactured by traditional methods such as boiler making, they encountered problems with durability, strength on contact with the material, excessive wear and cement build-up inside that nozzle. Cement printing times were delayed and not compliant with 3D printing cement.

Creating a metal 3D printed concrete nozzle

 

They turned to Meltio’s unique additive manufacturing technology to create a nozzle using their innovative technology. After joint research with Meltio’s Applications department, we defined and created a nozzle design that could be produced with additive manufacturing. With Meltio, they achieved a 3D printed metal nozzle that was more robust, stronger, more durable and with a geometry that prevented cement build-up and better results than the previous nozzle manufactured with boiler making. The results were more than satisfactory.

concrete-nozzle-meltio-cementoslacruz

A more reliable, cost-effective and agile solution

 

It took 15 days to manufacture a stainless steel nozzle by boiler making, adding the procedure of contacting the external company, designing the part and receiving it in their 3DLAB at Cementos La Cruz. The Meltio nozzle was printed in 9 hours in Stainless Steel and that overall rate was reduced by 13 days. The Meltio 3D nozzle offers greater resistance to deformation.

advantages-metal3dprinting-concrete-nozzle

They can design parts that traditional manufacturing methods could not produce. With the Meltio nozzle they have achieved controlled deposition of the material in space, producing a concrete part as designed. And they are also saving costs and thanks to additive manufacturing they have found an agile solution: they don’t have to go to a lathe to have it made because they don’t gain in time or flexibility.

Conclusion

One of the strong points is the design of parts with metallic materials that could not be manufactured using a traditional method. Also the improvement of properties such as durability and corrosion resistance, given that cement is a corrosive material.

TIP: Download the spec sheet to know more about the Meltio M600 system.

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