High performance metal additive manufacturing technology applied in aviation field

High performance metal additive manufacturing(MAM) technology mainly includes the high energy beam (laser, electron beam, arc, etc.) cladding/melting methods with the synchronous powder or wire feeding, in which laser solid forming is as the representative, and powder bed fusion methods with laser or electron, in which selective laser melting is as the representative. Through metal additive manufacturing, the complex structural parts can be free-form near-net shaped rapidly without using the mold, meantime, the mechanical properties of the MAMed parts are superior to those of the cast, near, even equivalent to those of the wrought. These make MAM technology not only become an important manufacturing approach for high performance complex aviation component, but also be able to enhance the design effectiveness of advanced aircraft and aero engine, and realize the optimized design of aviation structural part based on the functional priority. In present work, the technical characteristics of typical MAM technology and the mechanical properties of typical MAMed parts were reviewed, and the current applications of MAM technology on the aviation field were analyzed, the problems for the applications of MAM technology on the aviation field were also discussed, finally, the major benefits for the applications of MAM technology on the aviation field were pointed out.