Commercial Qualification of Titanium Wire Direct Energy Deposition (DED) Applications

Implementation of new materials and manufacturing technologies on commercial aerospace platforms is a topic of increasing attention in the field of additive manufacturing. The requirements employed in aerospace for other materials and fabrication methods are applicable but items such as the process-intensive nature of additive manufacturing, shifts in supply chain dynamics and the pace of technology changes also need to be addressed to be successful in demonstrating regulatory compliance.

This presentation will provide a case study of the successful implementation of multiple titanium wire-DED part numbers into full-rate production on commercial aircraft platforms. The focus is on the approach taken during development to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements including material controls, fabrication methods, material strength properties and design values. Other topics addressed are non-destructive inspection approaches and an update on related MMPDS efforts for process-intensive materials.