An overview of Ni base additive fabrication technologies for aerospace applications

The cost of aerospace components is often significantly increased due to the amount of material over and above the finished geometry that must be removed during manufacturing. This results in a substantial conversion cost needed to generate the final component. It is not uncommon to machine away 90% or more of the initial input shape, thereby increasing cost, cycle time and other overhead costs. Additive manufacturing includes an umbrella of technologies that can be used to dramatically reduce the input forging size, resulting in lower cost and manufacturing cycle time. An overview of additive manufacturing technologies and their fit into aero engine manufacturing will be presented. Advantages and disadvantages of the technologies will be discussed. Development work will be presented with commonly used aerospace materials. Preliminary mechanical property results and cost modeling will be presented. Near-term equipment and process development needs will be addressed. (AU) © 2010 by The Materials, Metals, & Materials Society. All rights reserved.