Wire-based Additive Manufacturing of Ti-6Al-4V for Large Scale Aerospace Components

Ti-6Al-4V alloy additive manufacturing (AM) has been a key sector of the broader metal AM market since the late 2000s and continues to drive a significant portion of the market today. These alloys are increasingly sought after, especially in the aerospace sector, for their high strength to weight ratio, biological inertness, and heat resistance properties. Although many AM techniques can build using Ti-6Al-4V, wire-based AM processes are now gaining interest due to their capability to rapidly produce near-net shape components for large scale applications without the need for complex tooling. High deposition rates, low buy-to-fly (BTF) ratios, low material and equipment costs, and good structural integrity make wire-based AM a suitable candidate for replacing the current method of manufacturing from solid billets or large forgings.

There are several wire-based AM processes, but each shares a common feature, in that a continuously fed metal wire is melted by a heat source and deposited in the form of molten metal along a predetermined path. The heat source can be either electron beam, electric arc, or laser, and each differing heat source creates its own unique wire-based AM process. Those processes are: wire + arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), laser metal deposition with wire (LMD-w) and electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM) and each process offers unique benefits and weaknesses.

This presentation will focus on the differences and latest developments in terms of system configurations, deposition rates, BTF ratios, in-situ monitoring, material properties, and qualification challenges. Various case-studies will be presented to show how wire-based AM processes can be a cost-effective alternate to traditional casting or forging. This technology can significantly impact your business through reducing lead time and cost to produce large-scale aerospace components.

Keywords: metal additive manufacturing, aerospace, Ti-6Al-4V, WAAM, LMD-w, EBAM, in-situ monitoring, mechanical properties, qualification