The Future, R&D Initiative Defence Airframe: The TITAN-AM Program with AFRL

Case study

The challenge:

Traditional titanium manufacturing for large aerospace structures is highly inefficient, relying on subtractive milling that wastes up to 90% of expensive raw material. While additive manufacturing offers a solution, scaling it for large-scale, flight-ready defense and commercial structures requires significant advancements. To achieve future readiness, the aerospace sector must industrialize high-deposition printing processes, develop robust structural material datasets, optimize component distortion through advanced simulation, and implement specialized inspection techniques for large components.

 

The solution:

GKN Aerospace launched the Titanium Industrialization and Technology Advancement for Near net-shape Additive Manufacturing (TITAN-AM) program. Led in partnership with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), this $8.4 million research and innovation initiative focuses on advancing and industrializing Laser Metal Deposition with Wire (LMD-W) technology.
The project is executed at GKN Aerospace’s Global Technology Centre in Fort Worth, Texas—a major hub for advanced manufacturing innovation and collaboration with U.S. defense partners. 

 

By combining its deep manufacturing expertise with AFRL's vision, GKN Aerospace is establishing a validated framework to transition wire-fed laser technology from the lab into operational aerospace platforms. GKN Aerospace is actively driving critical work packages across TITAN-AM’s five core innovation pillars:

  • Industrialization: Scaling up LMD-W processes to handle massive, large-scale titanium aerostructure components.
  • Material datasets: Developing robust titanium material properties databases to ensure structural performance, reliability, and airworthiness.
  • Advanced simulation: Utilizing predictive modeling capabilities to optimize structural designs and manage thermal outcomes during manufacturing.
  • Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI): Tailoring specialized, non-invasive inspection techniques specifically for large additive manufacturing processes to catch internal defects.
  • Application & demonstration: Fabricating selected operational aerospace structural components to validate real-world cost-effectiveness and performance.

The impact & planned outputs

The TITAN-AM project enables GKN Aerospace to drive the sector's transition toward lighter, faster, and more sustainable manufacturing through concrete operational goals:

  • Drastic material efficiency: Utilizing near-net-shape deposition eliminates massive feedstock waste and slashes the traditional buy-to-fly ratio of titanium manufacturing.
  • Compressed manufacturing timelines: Bypassing the long lead times of massive traditional forgings by printing large structures directly from wire feedstock.
  • Standardized qualification pathways: Building robust datasets and NDI standards provides a clear, fast-track pathway to formal military and commercial flight qualification.
  • Enhanced U.S. defense innovation hub: The initiative cements GKN’s Fort Worth facility as a key location to meet the soaring demand for next-generation, single-piece defense and commercial aerostructures.