Army Aviation Additive Repair/Manufacture (AR/M) Qualification

The U.S. Army overhauls aircraft weapon system (AH-64, CH-47, UH-60) and associated components. Significant damage, corrosion, and wear are a main cause of component discrepancies. Typical issues with current fusion weld/thermal spray repair is high distortion and a large heat affected zone (HAZ) to an operational aviation component. These repairs often require large and complex fixtures and processes to stabilize the component during the repair process. The additive repair / manufacture (AR/M) has shown to give a very small HAZ and footprint not requiring the use of complex fixtures. This paper outlines the approach taken to develop and qualify AR/M necessary for airworthiness qualification. Two areas that are researched are laser additive manufacturing (LAM) powder fed systems (or directed energy deposition (DED)) and cold spray additive manufacturing. Establishment of mechanical and metallurgical properties of AR/M are presented. Significant return on investment is being shown using these AR/M repair processes.