Onsite Structural Restoration Methods for Aircraft Components

The goal of this SBIR Phase I research is to demonstrate the feasibility of developing an innovative metallic melt deposition (MMD) approach for reliable onsite restoration of damaged Ti-6Al-4V aircraft components, with an eventual goal of the Phase II/III project to commercialize the developed technology. To achieve this goal, the technical objectives, the proposed MMD technology includes the following critical steps: 1) automate damaged feature extraction and alignment; 2) automate deposition process planning; 3) in-situ monitor and control the deposition process; and 4) use multi-wave energy source. The Phase I project will demonstrate the feasibility of steps 1, 2, and 4, while Phase I Option will demonstrate steps 1-4. Thus the resulting MMD process will have the following unique features: 1) Automated tool setup for restoration; 2) Precision powder feeding for precision restoration; 3) Robust metal additive process through in-situ monitoring; and 4) Multi-wave processing for reduced residual stresses in restoration.