I was reading in Nasa Tech Briefs about Electron Beam Melting (EBM)
being used to make near net and net parts out of titanium alloys.
Other alloys have been used to make parts, aluminum being one, but the
titanium alloys and CP titanium seem to be the predominant metals
being used. After the parts come out of the EBM machine they are
subjected to Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP). the HIP process closes up
any micropores in the EBM fashioned part. When an aluminum alloy is
cast and then run through a rolling mill the structure is changed
significantly. This wrought alloy behaves much differently than the
same alloy as cast . My question is whether the HIP process changes
the alloy so that it behaves more like a wrought alloy or if basically
remains the same, just denser.
Thanks,
Eric