TITANIUM EUROPE 2013 Speakers to Showcase Titanium and Ti Aluminide Developments in Commercial Aerospace

DENVER, Jan. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Industry experts on the application of titanium and promising titanium aluminide (TiAl) alloys in commercial aerospace, will address TITANIUM EUROPE delegates from 22 countries March 5 – 7, 2013 in Hamburg, Germany.

In the Commercial Aerospace panel, Yves-Charles Ricci, Aubert & Duval, will introduce his firm's joint venture with Kazakhstan-based UKTMP. The partnership, UKAD, creates a fully-integrated titanium manufacturer which has in place a long-term contract to supply titanium semi-finished products for parts and fasteners to EADS programs including Airbus.  UKTMP, the world's second largest sponge producer, will transform ingot into the necessary billet, bar and related forms, while Aubert & Duval, a leader in closed –die forging, will produce the parts for aircraft components.

Nikolay Lopatin, OOO Commetprom, will discuss studies of microstructure and creep resistance in aero engine parts manufactured from powder-metallurgy alloys using near-net shape techniques. Although powder's cost is high and the required spraying and sintering is laborious, the technique shows promise versus the high waste and machining cost of traditional wrought processing.

The GEnx aircraft engine, specifically its single-piece flow, low-pressure turbine (LPT) blade of cast TiAl, will be the focus of Tobias Schubert, GE Aviation Deutschland.  These near-net shape blades represent the first certified commercial aviation application of gamma TiAl. They use less raw material than gravity cast blades and contribute to reduced fuel consumption, noise and emissions.

Another panel will specifically examine titanium aluminides for engines.

Robert Guntlin, Access, will track the progress toward commercially viable large-scale serial production of TiAl LPT blades for aero and automotive engines. Manufacturing technologies including melting, shaping and machining have been examined and his firm has pursued near net shape casting, but none has been successfully industrialized. He will analyze the technical and financial risks of investing in any process that hasn't achieved needed Technology Readiness.

The impact of the gamma TiAl LPT blades in the GEnx engine will be further addressed by Volker Gunther, GfE Metalle und Materialien GmbH.  He notes that TiAl alloys exhibit well-balanced material properties, but also that conventional technologies to produce casting or forging feedstock aren't applicable.  His company has developed and industrialized ingot conversion processes that adjust gamma TiAl alloy feedstocks for casting or forging and simultaneously improve homogeneity.

Wilfried Smarsly, MTU Aero Engines, will discuss the status of TiAl in aero engines.  He observes that it has taken three decades, but the alloys have now found application in autos and aircraft, driven by the need to improve fuel efficiency and lower emissions and costs.  He will report the effects of various processing methods (ingot, powder, casting, forging) on microstructure and the advances in thermo-mechanical processing and heat treatment technologies used to optimize it.

As the international titanium supply chain has grown in scope and complexity over the past decade, attendance at the TITANIUM conference series has doubled. TITANIUM EUROPE 2013 anticipates approximately 350 delegates from over 20 countries.  TITANIUM EUROPE 2013 will offer European-focused insights into the current state of the industry as well as efficient, high-value networking opportunities not available anywhere else for titanium producers, OEM's, distributors, fabricators, and vendors who offer products & services to the titanium community alike.

Register at www.titanium.org or contact the International Titanium Association for more information +1-303-404-2221.  Email:  [email protected].  A non-profit trade group established in 1984, the ITA's mission is to promote the use of titanium in industrial, commercial, medical and military applications, as well as advance ideas in research, design, metallurgy and engineering. More than 200 organizations and over 1,500 individuals make up ITA's membership.

Contact: Jennifer Simpson, Executive Director
Denver, Colorado USA
1-303-404-2221 Telephone
1-303-404-9111 Facsimile
[email protected] Email

SOURCE International Titanium Association