A new manufacturing process called FASTforge turns waste titanium shavings—known as swarf—directly into high-strength engine parts, skipping the expensive and wasteful steps normally needed to make titanium components. Titanium is strong and lightweight, but producing it is costly and wasteful. Current methods generate up to 70% waste in the aerospace industry, and the raw material itself is expensive. This project tackles both problems by using leftover titanium swarf as feedstock and combining an existing process (FAST) with forging to shape it into near-final forms. The result is titanium parts at 20% of the cost of conventional billet, with minimal waste. If successful, the research could make lightweight titanium engine components affordable for automotive use, cutting vehicle weight and reducing CO₂ and particulate emissions. The supply chain would shift: traditional metal-forming companies could diversify into advanced manufacturing, and the UK metal industry could adopt new technologies to stay competitive. The same process could later expand into rail, aerospace, defence, and low-cost desalination. The project is applied and commercially focused, not fundamental science—success is measured by whether four test components pass functional bench tests and whether a new UK supply chain emerges.
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"The project utilises high value alloyed titanium (Ti) swarf as a feedstock to sinter-forge via the new, novel technology FASTforge process into near net shapes for use in high strength and good fatigue life applications typically required within an automotive engine. 4 engine components of increasing complexity from both a manufacturing and performance perspective will be manufactured and functional bench tested. To achieve this, a new UK supply chain will be developed, with diversification for companies within traditional metal manufacturing and ""know how"" transfer from University of Sheffield, combined with multiple areas for IP generation. The FAST process has existed for many years, but when combined with forging it can release its untapped potential. The process will produce Ti at 20% of the cost of current Ti billet and with minimal waste compared to the 70% waste generated within the aerospace industry. Success will mean: a) lightweight & lower CO2 & PM emissions for automotive engines. Initially within low volume, but with increasing confidence with the product & developed manufacturing processes it can then move into higher volume applications b) growth opportunities for the supply chain, initially within the low volume vehicle industry but with the potential to move into the higher volume market and also the wider advanced manufacturing sectors of off-shore, rail, aerospace, non-auto engines, defense & low cost desalination. Exploitation in these other sectors is supported by the 4 components selected c) the metal forming industry can stay abreast of new technology in alternative metals and use world-leading materials research to halt the decline of an industry within the UK."
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