Research and Application Status of Titanium Alloy Additive Manufacturing Technology

1) Research Status of Titanium Alloy Additive Manufacturing Technology
With the development of additive manufacturing technology, countries around the world are actively conducting research on titanium alloy additive manufacturing technology, hoping that it can be applied in various aspects. According to recent research, the production processes currently applied in titanium alloy part processing include laser selective melting forming technology, electron beam wire forming technology, laser three-dimensional forming technology, and electron beam selective melting forming technology.

(2) Application of Titanium Alloy Additive Manufacturing Technology in the Aerospace Field
Additive manufacturing technology was first applied in American carrier-based fighter jets in 2001. Titanium alloy additive manufacturing technology was used to produce aircraft load-bearing structural components and applied in aerospace production. In 2011, the University of Southampton in the UK produced an overall frame including the wings, control panels, and cabin doors of unmanned aircraft through additive manufacturing technology. After 2012, the application of titanium alloy additive manufacturing technology in the aerospace field achieved unprecedented development. Titanium alloy parts not only have been widely used in aircraft manufacturing, but also new titanium alloy materials have begun to be applied in aerospace equipment such as rockets and space shuttles. The parts produced by titanium alloy additive manufacturing technology have greatly reduced the number of welds between aerospace equipment, and due to the higher strength of titanium alloy, the safety of aerospace equipment has been greatly improved.
Related departments and research institutions in China have also been continuously conducting research on titanium alloy additive manufacturing technology, and it has now been applied in the aerospace field. The titanium alloy aircraft main load-bearing components and wing produced by China through titanium alloy additive manufacturing technology have reached the corresponding technical requirements and have been applied in aircraft manufacturing. In 2013, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics produced titanium alloy aircraft main load-bearing components through titanium alloy additive manufacturing technology, passed technical verification and underwent installation review. This made China the first country in the world to master the design and manufacturing of titanium alloy aircraft main load-bearing components, marking that China's titanium alloy additive manufacturing technology has entered the world's leading position.

(3) Application of Titanium Alloy Additive Manufacturing Technology in the Defense Field
In the process of defense weapon production, the material performance requirements for weapons are high, and the precision of parts also has high requirements. The US Navy is currently researching to design additive manufacturing technology on aircraft carriers, treating the aircraft carrier as a large-scale weapon production factory, and producing required weapon equipment according to needs and requirements. At the same time, the US Army is also developing "mobile parts hospital" to achieve rapid repair and rapid production of weapon parts, meeting the needs of the battlefield. China is also accelerating the research on the application of titanium alloy additive manufacturing technology in the defense field, achieving rapid and precise weapon production, and promoting the development of China's defense technology.

(4) Application of Titanium Alloy Additive Manufacturing Technology in Medical Devices
In modern medicine, titanium alloy technology has been applied, such as artificial joints. With the improvement of medical level, people have put forward higher requirements for artificial joints or other composite materials in the body. These materials applied to the human body should have better contact and compatibility， and also complete corresponding functions. Titanium alloy additive manufacturing technology-produced artificial joints ensure that the joint has a good wear-resistant interface and can well integrate with bone tissue， improving the quality and medical level of artificial joints.