Titans of metal casting

• Technical advances in metal casting presented an opportunity to save resources
• Titanium casting and precision-milling technique led to large savings: 80 % energy and 75 % materials

TITAL GmbH is a German metal components producer which is part of the larger Arconic group.TITAL uses precision casting of lightweight metals, including titanium and aluminium, targeting the aerospace technology sector.

Advances in casting techniques have paved the way for a more efficient metal manufacturing process. Until around a decade ago, casting was not feasible for parts up to 600 mm. Larger parts, such as the Airbus 380 engine mounting, had to be milled and shaped out of a pure block of titanium. Milling like this uses a lot of energy and causes significant material waste (offcuts).

Supported by the German Environmental Innovation Programme, TITAL developed a new method for casting titanium components of 1500 mm diameter, which uses only 20 % of the material and 25 % of the energy previously needed. With its titanium furnace, the company is able to cast slugs that need much less machining.

Key results

By changing the manufacturing process from milling only to an innovative precision-casting process, TITAL thus managed to save around 80 % of the raw materials and 75 % of the energy consumed per component produced.