THE QUALIFICATION OF AN ECONOMICALLY ADVANTAGEOUS TI-6AL-4V BEARING HOUSING FOR HELICOPTER APPLICATION BY POWDER METAL MANUFACTURING TEC

DYNAMET TECHNOLOGY HAS DEVELOPED A VERY ECONOMICALLY ADVANTAGEOUS POWDER METAL TECHNOLOGY FOR PRODUCTION OF TITANIUM ALLOY "NEAR NET" SHAPES. THIS TECHNOLOGY HAS RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT COST SAVINGS IN THE PRODUCTION OF VARIOUS MISSILE COMPONENTS. THE APPLICATION OF THIS TECHNOLOGY TO MORE CRITICAL PROPULSION SYSTEM COMPONENTS WILL BE STUDIED UNDER THIS PROPOSED PROGRAM. A TITANIUM ALLOY BEARING HOUSINGNEAR NET SHAPE COMPONENT HAS BEEN SELECTED BY DYNAMET AND TEXTRON/ LYCOMING AS THE TARGET COMPONENT. TEST BARS OF TI-6AL-4V ALLOY PRODUCED USING TWO GRADES OF TITANIUM POWDER WILL BE FABRICATED. THE TEST BARS WILL BE MANUFACTURED USING COLD ISOSTATIC PRESSING, VACUUM SINTERING AND HOT ISOSTATIC PRESSING TO PRODUCE THE HIGH DENSITY TITANIUM ALLOY. THESE WILL BE TESTED AT DYNAMET AND TEXTRON/ LYCOMING. BASED ON THE RESULTING PROPERTIES, PREFORM SHAPES FOR THIS HOUSING WILL BE DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED. THE P/M PREFORMS WILL BE SUPPLIED TO TEXTRON/LYCOMING FOR TEST AND EVALUATION. THE LYCOMING WORK WOULD BE CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROGRAM. IN ADDITION, ONE POWDER METAL NEAR SHAPE DEMONSTRATION PREFORM WILL BE SUPPLIED TO THE AIR FORCE.