Over the past several years, the Metals Affordability Initiative (MAI) has provided support for advanced processing technologies with the goal of reducing the cost of military aircraft. MAI efforts at Howmet have been conducted in developing casting technology directed toward the production and implementation of thin wall Superalloy and titanium alloy investment castings to replace components that currently are either machined or sheet metal fabrications. The overall intent is to take advantage of the potential cost savings offered by investment castings for these types of structures in aircraft and aerospace components. The development studies used concurrent engineering, solidification modeling and designed casting experiments to develop strategies for producing thin wall components in both alloy systems. The results of the titanium casting development activities will be presented, along with examples of the types of aircraft engine and aircraft structural components where this type of technology can be used.
展开▼
