Manufacturing technology for gamma-TiAl alloy in current and future applications

Based on the experience of the author, an overview of manufacturing technologies for TiAl alloy components in current and future applications is provided. The main current application consists of turbochargers for gasoline engines used in passenger vehicles, while future applications include high temperature turbochargers for passenger vehicle direct injection gasoline engines, mass production turbochargers for passenger vehicle diesel engines, and aerospace structural parts. The paper presented here first reviews the characteristics of the respective products together with the features of the TiAl alloys used or likely to be used. Representative manufacturing technologies are then presented with respect to these products, and desirable new technologies aimed toward future applications are discussed.