A wide variety of developments in the production, application and research of titanium alloys is highlighted. Germany's only major titanium producer starts the introduction of titanium alloys with smart properties into commercial markets. The increasing demand for cost reduction has led to the development of new, net shape forging techniques of structural aircraft components with complex geometry, allowing the reduction of material input weight and additionally reduced machining costs. The application of the new Low Cost Beta (LCB)-titanium alloy as spring material in the rear suspension of the Volkswagen Lupo FSI may indicate a first breakthrough for titanium alloys in the automotive industry. Additionally, great effort is undertaken to bring cast γ-titanium aluminides to production readiness for the application as impeller in turbochargers. On the more conventional material side the alloy Ti-6246 in the β-forged microstructure is increasingly used for application as high strength, damage tolerant compressor disk material in modern aero engines. Sophisticated welding techniques such as linear friction welding and high frequency inductive press welding for the production and repair of integrally bladed compressor rotors used in the latest generation of aero engines are presented. A survey of research activities on advanced titanium alloys is given, covering high strength β-titanium alloys, titanium metal matrix composites, γ-titanium aluminides, and new titanium biomaterials for surgical implants.
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