U.S. Air Force Orders Optomec Metal-AM System to Repair Titanium Turbine Blades

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Optomec a $1 million contract to deliver an automated high-volume metal additive manufacturing (AM) machine for refurbishing turbine engine components at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, OK. The automated system will enable batch processing capable of making tens of thousands of repairs per year, with an initial focus on refurbishing turbine-blade tips. Optomec will also assist the US Air Force in developing optimal process parameters for a range of target repairs.

The metal-AM setup is expected to reduce repair costs by as much as 70 percent, while providing shortened and more-predictable lead times and reduced supply-chain dependency--which translates to improved military readiness.

See also: Optomec Inc.

Technologies: Additive Manufacturing

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