Additive manufacturing of titanium alloys – Enabling re-manufacturing of aerospace and biomedical components

Abstract

This paper describes the state of the art of additive manufacturing of Titanium alloys especially in the high-value-materials industries such as aerospace and biomedical. In such industries, the high value components like aerospace gas engine turbine blades or the coronary angioplasty stents in biomedical industry call especially for the re-manufacturing vision that is only recently enabled by additive manufacturing methodologies. This paper starts by describing the two most common additive manufacturing (AM) methods as characterized by their input material forms: powder and wire. Using examples, it then provides an assessment of the status of these methods as regards to their maturity as production ready processes. Following this, the principal issues that must be addressed before AM can achieve this status are outlined. Perhaps the most critical one among these is development of a rapid qualification method for AM produced components. In this regard, the current method for qualifying different classes of components is outlined. Some suggestions for reducing the time required for qualification are made. Significant benefits of AM are described including part count reduction and the use of design synthesis to achieve significant component weight reduction. Two low risk examples of this are described herein. The Direct Energy Deposition (DED) model is highlighted especially in its role to enable the Re-Manufacturing vision for high-value structural components such as in aerospace and biomedical industries. This paper concludes that there are numerous opportunities for incorporation of components made by AM once some of the issues described are effectively addressed.