Participants: LTU Division of Materials Science and GKN Aerospace Engine Systems
Additive manufacturing (AM) is a new and promising manufacturing method for titanium components in which a detail is moulded by applying heat (laser, weld or electron beam) and then the titanium material (in the form of a powder or a welding wire).
This method reduces the manufacturing costs and can result in a lower weight and increased performance through optimal design opportunities, which is very important in space applications, where every kilo of weight saved is highly valuable. It is also a more environmentally friendly manufacturing method, as it reduces the amount of material wasted by directly manufacturing the final geometry, which does not have to be processed any further. This is a manufacturing method with a bright future, which can be applied within more than one industry.
(SMARTi stands for “Samband mellan additiv metalldeponeringsprocess, mikrostruktur och mekaniska egenskaper för Ti-6Al-4v)