Additive Manufacturing to Produce Standard and Custom Alloy Titanium

Abstract

Metal additive manufacturing patented in 1925, today uses electron beam or laser beam pool melting as well as using laser or electron beam powder sintering a single layer at a time to build relatively small near net shape parts. Friction Stir Processing (FSP) as a solid state non-melt process has also been demonstrated to build parts layer by layer as well as repair parts. Plasma transferred arc (PTA) power system melt pool processing has low capital cost, very high build rates compared to e-beam or laser and has built larger multiple feet size parts with property values equivalent to superior to wrought material. In the case of titanium, sponge has been used as a low cost feed to produce varieties of alloy compositions with exceptional strength and higher moduli that have also included ceramic particulate with applications in the auto industry. FSP has produced double strengths over analogous wrought alloys.