Innovative Linear Friction Welding technology for Near Net Shape manufacture of advanced Ti aerospace components

The use and cost of Titanium (Ti) alloys in Aerospace continues to grow and escalate, putting ever more pressure on cost-effective manufacturing of parts in Ti. Near net shape forming technologies for Ti alloys are currently under development with the aim of building Ti parts rather than machining them out of solid. Most current approaches however are somewhat limited in terms of productivity, with material deposition rates of around 5kg/hr being common. Linear Friction Welding (LFW) is an innovative solid phase welding technology that is emerging as a new enabling technology for Ti near net shape manufacture. Capable of effective material deposition rates of 50kg/hr, together with excellent weld quality and process repeatability, LFW has the potential to be a game changing technology in this field. The TiFab project will develop and demonstrate Linear Friction Welding (LFW) technology for the cost effective manufacture of near net shape Ti alloy components and will support the ambitions of CAV, a UK tier 1 aerospace supplier, to grow their product offering..