Due to its intermetallic structure titanium aluminide is characterized by its high strength and excellent creep resistance at high temperatures. At the same time, at a density of four grams per cubic m, it is very light. It is therefore ideally suited for aircraft engines. The material provides the potential to reduce the weight of turbine blades for aircraft engines by up to 50 percent which also goes along with a significant reduction of the centrifugal forces. The lighter design of the engines, made possible with the new components, will contribute decisively to reduced fuel consumption.

Intermetallic titanium aluminide was considered as not forgeable for a long time. Compared to casting, forging generates a special re-crystallization structure which is necessary for safety reasons for the rotating engine parts. In addition, the process stability during forging is higher than during casting and consequently, the turbine blades meet the extremely high quality requirements of the aircraft industry.

Leistritz has developed a new process where the blanks can be formed without cracks under carefully defined conditions at temperatures between 1,150 and 1,300 deg C. The high forming temperature and the long dwell time of the forgings in the die, due to forming speeds of less than 0.1 mm per second, require heating the tools to forging temperature.

The extremely low press speeds require the hydraulic drive control to be especially accurate and uniform. Special guide and sealing systems assure uniform compression and thus avoid the undesired stick-slip effect. The symmetrical press design with a cross thread guide located on the outside allows for high precision forging. Because the guide elements are isolated from the heat source there is no thermal influence on the guide. The large distance between the guidance elements and the high rigidity of the press frame also contribute to precisely opposite aligned upper and lower dies during the forging process.