Electron Beam, Direct Manufacturing of Large Scale Aerospace Components

Electron Beam, Direct Manufacturing (EBDM) of titanium components is currently being qualified for the F-35 Lightning II program. Candidate components include wing and tail spars and ribs which range between 5 to 10 feet in length. The EBDM process uses an Electron Beam (EB) to melt and consolidate Ti-64 titanium alloy onto a base plate under a vacuum to build of a preform of the part similar to a die forging. The process offers cost and lead time reductions vs traditional die forging processes. This presentation will cover the EBDM process, the F-35 qualification activities and discuss some of the challenges that are currently being addressed as part of the qualification process.