How Titanium Forgings Are Manufactured

Titanium forgings — discs, rings, flanges and shafts — are made by deforming heated billet under force, which refines the grain and aligns the metal flow lines for superior strength and fatigue life.

The Process

• Billet preparation — cut and inspect forging stock
• Heating — to forging temperature below the beta transus (for alpha-beta alloys)
• Forging / die-forging — open or closed die under press/hammer
• Heat treatment — anneal or solution-treat-and-age
• Rough machining — to near-net shape
• Inspection — acid etch, UT/NDT, dimensional

Why Grain Flow Matters

Forging aligns the grain with the part's contours, giving better directional strength and fatigue resistance than machining from bar or casting.

Standards

Titanium forgings are commonly produced to ASTM B381 (plus AMS specs for aerospace).