Laser fabrication of discontinuously reinforced metal components Available to Purchase

Triton Systems, Inc. in partnership with Laser Fare, Inc., is developing a laser based rapid prototyping/manufacturing method for fabricating in-situ Discontinuously Reinforced Titanium (DRTi) components directly from a 3-D CAD solid model, thus eliminating the need for tooling and enabling rapid turn around times. During the process, a titanium alloy powder is fed to the focal point of a laser beam where it is melted and deposited. Upon solidification, very fine TiB particles precipitate thus reinforcing the titanium metal and forming an in-situ DRTi material. Using the 3-D CAD solid model data, a computer controls the laser and an X-Y table to position the deposit and build the DRTi component to near-net-shape. Under SBIR funding from the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) which is being administered by the Air Force Research Laboratory, Triton Systems and Laser Fare are developing this technology and will prototype DRTi components to demonstrate its potential. This paper provides an overview of the process and preliminary results of the DRTi materials produced using this promising technology.