Aero industries need more advanced materials
The aerospace industry, which is largely responsible for development of advanced alloys that benefit a range of other industries. More than any other group, aircraft manufacturers rely on the steady improvement of materials and fabrication methods for increased efficiency, higher speeds, and greater reliability and durability. Because of the efforts put forth by a multitude of engineers and scientists, aerospace has become one of the few success stories in American manufacturing. It is a growing industry, with exports of both airplanes and their materials of construction. In particular, titanium alloy developments enable smaller, more powerful engines and lighter-weight structures. Composites, which were formerly considered to expensive for commercial aircraft, are increasingly the material of choice for many aircraft structures. Titanium’s compatibility with composites has increased its use on advanced aircraft, but has also raised concerns about reliable supply.Once considered a major drawback, the supply is about to grow as Allegheny Technologies Inc. builds new titanium-sponge plants in Oregon and Utah. The first new titanium sponge plants in the United States in 60 years, they represent an assured reliable source for both the U.S. and foreign aircraft industries. However, titanium remains an expensive material, and ways to reduce component cost are underway across the industry. For example, NASA is developing Electron Beam Freeform Fabrication (EBF3), an additive metal process in which an electron beam, wire feed, and computer control build near-net-shape components, either by addition of details onto a simplified preform, or by fabricating the entire component. The EBF3 process can reduce high buy-to-fly ratios (12:1 to 20:1 are not uncommon for some components) down to less than 5:1. Laser welding of Ti-6Al-4V has been developed at Boeing and the Edison Welding Institute for producing near-net-shape structural components. In addition to laser welding, friction stir welding of Ti-6Al-4V is being modified for a variety of thicknesses and joint configurations.
Hot Stretch Forming (HSF), developed by the Cyril Bath Co., combines traditional stretch forming technology with hot metal forming techniques. HSF allows engineers to design a variety of titanium structure profiles that are curved to a specific, precise radius prior to final machining. Plasma transferred arc welding torches that serve as the high-energy source for additive manufacturing have been designed by MER Corp. In addition to the low cost fabrication of metallic structures, this technology has also been used to form very hard surface layers that are functionally graded to the substrate of a cermet composition.
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