Additive manufacturing of titanium alloy for aircraft components

Selective Laser melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing technology that uses laser as a power source to sinter powdered metals to produce solid structures. The application of SLM permits engineers to develop and implement components with topologically optimized designs and resultant material properties in comparison to conventionally produced casting parts. Current aviation programs as ACARE 2020 (Advisory Council for Aviation Research and Innovation in the EU) and Flightpath 2050 request a reduction of fuel consumption as well as CO2 and NOx emissions in the next years. To meet these requirements there is a clear trend to produce light-weight components for engines and structural parts of aircrafts through SLM. Since SLM process is a key technology for aeronautical application, this paper focusses on the qualification of a high performance titanium alloy as well as on the investigation of optimized process parameters and positioning strategies of the structures produced in the SLM machine.