ALFORAMA PROJECT
Innovative Al alloy for aircraft structural parts using Additive Manufacturing technology
Discover more The projectInnovative Aluminum (Al) alloy for powder bed based additive manufacturing
An innovative high strength Al alloy will be developed, which is feasible by powder metallurgy and suitable for Selective Laser Melting (SLM). The new material will have improved weldability and increased mechanical and corrosion resistance as compared to cast grades Al alloys, which are currently used in additive manufacturing (AM).
The projectWhat for?
The aircraft of the future needs to meet several demands, such as weight reduction, to comply with pollutant emissions and noise generation level. In this sense, new lower-density Al alloys are sought.
Why SLM technology for AM?
SLM is particularly useful in the aerospace industry due to the specific characteristics of this market as regards: (1) moderate production volumes, (2) constant design interactions, (3) geometric design complexity, (4) integration of new and high added value materials, (5) tight material property requirements and (6) reliability and consistency of manufactured samples.
Material development strategy
The chemical composition of commercial Al alloys will be tailored to improve processability and/or mechanical performance. Besides, the specific P/M processing of the raw material powders will be defined.
From material to product
- Raw materials will be produced in powder form by atomization process
- Optimization of heat treatment after SLM processing
- SLM process development ensuring a defect free material manufacturing
- Chemical, mechanical and corrosion characterisation
Consortium
The AlForAMA project is developed by a well-balanced consortium that brings together 3 partners coming from 2 European countries (Spain and Belgium).
CONTACT
Project coordinator: María San Sebastián (msansebastian@lortek.es)
