MELD Manufacturing Corporation, Christiansburg, Virginia, USA, has released data confirming that its MELD metal Additive Manufacturing machines produce titanium meeting the ASTM and AMS standards for forged materials, as built.

The data was said to have been generated through a programme with the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and the Advanced Manufacturing, Materials, and Processes (AMMP) using Ti6Al4V material (ASTM Grade 5) for the testing.

Data has shown that the as-built material exceeds minimum requirements for yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation as specified in ASTM B265, ASTM B381, and AMS 4911 in all axes, including through the build layers.

ASTM B265 is the ASTM standard specification for Titanium and Titanium Alloy Strip, Sheet, and Plate. ASTM B381 is the ASTM standard specification for Titanium and Titanium Alloy Forgings. AMS 4911 is the AMS specification for Titanium Alloy, Sheet, Strip, and Plate, 6Al – 4V, Annealed.

Chemistry analysis shows that MELD Ti6-4 is consistent with the feedstock material and conforming to the requirements of ASTM B265, ASTM B381, and AMS 4911.

[Optical microscopy and SEM investigations produced images which revealed clean, defect-free material. The MELD deposited Ti6-4 is monolithic, as individual layers are not visible during evaluations," stated Ryan Henderson, Process Engineer.

Ti6-4 is a desirable because of its high strength:weight ratio and favourable balance of properties, but its prohibitive cost can prevent use in components that require a large amount of material to be machined away. MELD enables use of this alloy by manufacturing only what is needed.

Chase Cox, Director of Technology concluded, [No other additive process can deliver Ti6-4 at scale with isotropic properties consistent with forged material."