East Granby, Conn. – Joining Technologies will showcase its laser additive manufacturing capabilities at the Society of Manufacturing Engineers' AeroDef Manufacturing Exposition and Conference, to be held April 5 to 7 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA.
AeroDef Manufacturing is an event that provides manufacturing solutions for the unique needs of aerospace and defense manufacturers. The event aims to find new sources of innovation that can drive efficiencies throughout the manufacturing process and maintain U.S. defense and commercial superiority.
Fraunhofer ILT’s Dr. Ingo Kelbassa will give a presentation at the event titled, "Additive BLISK Manufacture," discussing the qualification and certification of laser metal deposition (LMD) for the green manufacture of new and future generation parts such as BLISKs (BLade Integrated DiSKs) made from nickel and titanium base alloys. The presentation discusses the method from feasibility studies through process development to a first additive BLISK-mock-up manufacture for an HPC BLISK made from Inconel 718.
In addition, since Joining Technologies has launched a new Laser Additive Manufacturing Division and entered into a formal cooperation agreement with Fraunhofer ILT earlier this year , the resulting partnership, Joining Technologies Research Center (JTRC), will be showcased at AeroDef.
As part of the JTRC, Fraunhofer ILT will be providing laser additive manufacturing research and development services, as well as system design and integration and accessory sales, including nozzles and cladding heads, all from a new facility in East Granby. The JTRC partnership will offer a range of services, from feasibility studies via process development, validation and certification, to systems engineering and system integration of a customized industrial solution at a customer’s site.
"Our new partnership with Fraunhofer ILT combines the precision and reliability of Joining Technologies' laser cladding processes with ILT’s cutting edge laser additive research and development capabilities," said Scott Poeppel, Joining Technologies' manager of additive processes. "The JTRC partnership offers customers enhanced information on using laser additive manufacturing for repair or restoration in aerospace, power generation, valve, and OEM-supplied component applications."
Dr. Ingo Kelbassa, vice and academic director of LLT, RWTH Aachen University and head of the RWTH LLT department at Fraunhofer ILT, expects the JTRC partnership will offer a range of services from feasibility studies through final industrial implementation. "By using such process-specific advantages as nearly unrestricted geometrical freedom, material freedom, and achievable thermo-mechanical properties of the parts built-up, it is possible to manufacture parts designed specifically for their function," said Dr. Kelbassa. "Laser additive manufacturing can therefore be considered as the key enabler for the green manufacturing of new and future generation parts."