How the LENS process compares to traditional methods for titanium alloy parts

Material Utilization and Waste Reduction

Traditional machining of titanium alloys involves removing material from solid billets, resulting in significant waste and high production cost. The LENS process deposits material only where needed, greatly improving buy-to-fly ratios. This is especially beneficial for high-value aerospace-grade alloys such as TA15 and Ti-6Al-4V, where material waste directly affects production cost.

Design Freedom and Complex Geometries

Conventional manufacturing has limitations in producing internal channels, lattice structures, and conformal cooling pathways. LENS allows complex geometries and topology optimization while enabling direct integration with CNC machining for final tolerance control. This hybrid approach is ideal for lightweight aerospace components requiring both complexity and precision.

Repair and Life Extension Benefits

Traditional repair methods for titanium parts often involve full remanufacturing or welding with high heat input, which may induce thermal distortion. LENS enables localized repair and feature addition with controlled heat input, significantly extending component life. This capability is valuable for parts made via single crystal casting or vacuum investment casting where full replacement is expensive.

Mechanical Property Performance

LENS-printed titanium parts initially show rapid solidification microstructures but can achieve mechanical properties equivalent to or better than forged parts after hot isostatic pressing (HIP) and heat treatment. These processes refine phase distribution and eliminate porosity, enabling aerospace-grade fatigue resistance.

Production Volume and Efficiency

Traditional methods are still more efficient for high-volume production of simple geometries. However, LENS excels in low- to medium-volume manufacturing, particularly for customized components in aerospace, oil and gas, and defense applications, where repair, modification, and rapid prototyping offer significant advantages over conventional approaches.