Assessment of Ti-6Al-4V Laser Clad Repair

Damaged components and a lack of spare components are issues which are currently affecting military aircraft capability. Laser Cladding is an additive manufacturing technique which shows promise in repairing damaged aviation components. However, there are considerable certification requirements for critical components which stand to gain the most benefits from laser clad repair methodologies. These requirements involve establishing crack growth rate data for the laser clad material to gain confidence in the reliability of the repair's performance on in-service aircraft. This research seeks to understand the fatigue behavior of Ti-6Al-4V that has undergone a simulated laser clad repair, with unrepaired specimens also tested to allow for comparison.