Additive Friction Stir Deposition of Al7093 Nano-Composite: A Novel Approach for Repairing Al7075 Weapon Systems

High strength aluminum is used in aircraft and air warfighting components throughout the Air Force Inventory.Ā Al-7075 T6 is used to combine high strength and lightweight material. Some of these parts, which have a life limiting wear condition, are prohibitively expensive to manufacture new but could be repaired and put back into service.Ā The Air Force currently spends $2M per year on the manufacture of new rail bodies to replace ones that could be repaired.Ā Also, the use of this technology could be used to support aircraft sustainment, possibly saving hundreds of millions of dollars.Ā Gamma Alloys believes we have already created an alloy using nano and micron ceramic particles that can solve this problem through repair.Ā GammaÆs alloy system was developed for Additive Friction Stir Deposition (AFSD) through past works with Boeing, Lockheed Martin Space, and multiple universities.Ā This proposal will provide a rapid proof of concept study on the alloy system known as G7, an aluminum 7093 Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) and a means for rapid repair using AFSD.Ā Gamma has historical data showing these composite systems can surpass the SBIR goal of 70% strength of original 7075 tensile strength after deposition.Ā The repair will also provide a wear surface extending the service life of the Launcher Rail Bodies.