Additive Manufacturing (AM) offers great benefits in terms of flexible and innovative manufacture. Commercial adoption of AM parts has been on the increase, but potential weaknesses resulting from defects introduced during the AM build are of concern. This study presents Hot Forging as a method of removing these defects. Samples of AM Ti64 were hot forged using an open die process, and changes in microstructure, porosity and defect level were examined. Tensile tests were performed, and these show improvements in both material strength and ductility. A further series of tests looking at the fatigue properties of the hot forged AM Ti64 was undertaken. These tests indicate that it is possible to achieve fatigue lives comparable with standard commercial material through the application of Hot Forging to AM Ti64. As an illustration of commercial potential, a component representative of a typical fan blade forging was produced by the closed die hot forging of a near net-shape AM component blank. The result shows the viability of manufacturing such components in a single pass rather than through multiple forging operations. The practical adoption of the process at a micro as well as macro scale is also considered, opening the possibility of incorporating the forging operation into the AM build.

CDH/01/23