Advanced Forming of Titanium Extrusions

Arconic Engineered Structures (AES) is one of only two suppliers in the Western Hemisphere with the capability to hot stretch-form titanium extrusions. The primary benefit of stretch-formed extrusions is a reduction in material input and machining time—typically the two largest cost drivers for a finished titanium part. Arconic’s one-of-a-kind 125-ton hot stretch-former (HSF) can form pieces longer than 15ft, applying continuous resistive heating (15K+ amps) and a controlled stretch rate to heat and form titanium extrusions around a mandrel. The spectrum of formable contours spans single-radius arcs to complex multi-curvature contours with a wrap-around angle limit between stretcher arms in excess of 250°. AES has experience forming cross sections in the range of 24in2 and possesses the capability to design stretcher jaws and forming dies in-house thereby offering reduced lead times for new products/programs. Depending on final finish length, the HSF also offers the option to form multiple pieces in one process. A case study will be presented for a representative hot stretch-formed aerospace T-chord that highlights the reduced material input cost (~40-50% less) and reduced material removal (~70-80% less) as compared to typical plate product. Arconic currently supplies formed extrusions to major aerospace OEMs.