Bosses, flanges, local reinforcements: hybrid manufacturing makes it possible to add a feature to a pre-forged part without having to completely remanufacture it.
These parts require extreme mechanical strength and reliability, with localized features—bosses, flanges, reinforcements—that can be added to a base part using hybrid manufacturing rather than redesigned into an entirely new part.
DED enables precisely this type of functional addition directly onto an existing forged or machined part, limiting the material input and thermal cycle to the specific functional area in question.
The large dimensions of these components are well suited to Gicam’s production capacity. But the real challenge is not dimensional: it is the part’s mechanical criticality that requires very precise metallurgical control of the deposited bead—a necessary condition for adding a function without introducing a zone of brittleness. The thermal control offered by
DED enables precisely this level of control on high-strength steels or titanium alloys suited to aerospace requirements.
