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Localizing Production of Turbine Jet Engine Housings
The aerospace sector is governed by a relentless pursuit of efficiency, not just in aerodynamic performance, but in manufacturing logistics. For components like turbine jet engine housings, the traditional reliance on offshore suppliers and solid billet machining creates vulnerabilities in both supply chain resilience and material utilization.
In collaboration with reseller AMT3D, manufacturer HH Industries used Meltio's engine housing application to address these specific industrial pain points. The project validates the transition from conventional subtractive methods to a hybrid wire-laser metal 3D printing workflow. By integrating additive deposition with standard CNC machining, engineers can now secure critical propulsion components locally, reducing dependency on volatile external logistics.
“The decision originated from the need to overcome high material waste, long lead times, and cost inefficiencies inherent in conventional machining of high-value alloys.”
1. The high cost of traditional billet machining
The standard manufacturing protocol for a turbine housing involves machining the geometry from a solid block of metal. This subtractive process results in a high “buy-to-fly” ratio: the ratio of the mass of the raw material purchased to the mass of the final flight-ready part.
For HH Industries, relying on conventional machining presented three distinct friction points:
- Excessive waste. Removing large volumes of material to reach the final geometry is inherently inefficient.
- Material cost. When dealing with aerospace-grade materials, the cost of the wasted swarf (chips) significantly impacts the bottom line.
- Lead times. Sourcing large billets and the subsequent machining hours extends the production timeline, delaying project completion.
2. Balancing material performance with production economics
The specific challenge was to produce a turbine jet engine housing that met aerospace quality standards while drastically reducing the economic and logistical footprint of the part. The goal was not merely to print a part, but to prove that a hybrid approach could yield a “near-net-shape” component capable of withstanding operational stresses.
Furthermore, the application required a solution that could handle high-performance materials. While this specific validation used Stainless Steel 316LSi, the process had to be scalable to difficult-to-machine superalloys like Titanium 64 or Inconel 718, where the economic arguments for additive manufacturing are even more pronounced.
3. Leveraging the Meltio M600 for industrial reliability
HH Industries selected Meltio's industrial wire-laser metal AM solution for its robustness and specific capability in hybrid manufacturing. The technical process involved:
Substrate strategy.
Instead of printing from zero, the system deposited SS316L wire directly onto a pre-machined billet substrate.
Near-net-shape deposition.
The Meltio head deposited material only where necessary to form the housing's geometry, creating a hybrid part that required minimal finishing.
Material efficiency.
By using wire feedstock, the process ensured 100% material capture efficiency in the deposited zones, improving safety and handling compared to powder-based systems.
“On the Meltio M600 the part can be printed on a billet that forms part of the final part so a hybrid part is output at the end.”
4. Quantifiable savings and supply chain resilience
The shift to Meltio's hybrid application delivered immediate technical and commercial ROI for HH Industries.
Cost reduction
The project demonstrated a saving of roughly €100 in machining time and material for the SS316L part. While significant for steel, the projected savings for Titanium 64 are exponential, as the reduction in waste for such expensive alloys makes conventional machining economically unviable by comparison.
Design flexibility
The technology opens the door for functionally graded parts, using two compatible materials in a single build to optimize thermal or structural properties in specific zones.
Supply chain sovereignty
This approach enables local production of critical components, reducing reliance on offshore suppliers and mitigating logistics risks.
Process efficiency
The hybrid workflow significantly reduced machining time and lead times compared to starting with a solid billet.
At a glance
- System: Meltio M600
- Sector: Aerospace
- Material: Stainless Steel 316LSi
- Printing time: Not disclosed
5. The future of aerospace manufacturing is hybrid
The collaboration between AMT3D and HH Industries confirms that wire-laser metal 3D printing is a mature solution for low-to-medium volume aerospace production. By adopting a hybrid additive-subtractive workflow, manufacturers can bypass the constraints of traditional billet machining.
The future evolution of this application is clear: further design optimization to reduce printed volume even more, and the qualification of higher-temperature aerospace alloys. For engineers looking to optimize the buy-to-fly ratio of high-value components, Meltio provides a proven, industrial pathway.
FAQs
Is this technology suitable for mass production?
Meltio is best recommended for low-to-medium volume production, particularly for high-value parts where design optimization and material efficiency outweigh the need for high-volume mass production rates.
Can this process handle materials other than stainless steel?
Yes. While this case used SS316L, the technology is specifically advantageous for high-value materials that are difficult to machine, such as Titanium 64 and Inconel 718.
How does this compare to powder-based AM systems?
Wire-laser technology was chosen for its flexibility, scalability, and safety. It allows for direct deposition onto billet substrates (hybrid manufacturing), which is often not economically feasible with powder-bed fusion systems for large components.
This case study was originally published by Meltio as Localized production of critical aerospace components, written by Rubén de las Heras. Reproduced here with credit to Meltio.