Aerospace Titanium Blisk Market Overview
Commercial and military aircraft demand is rising, according to the aerospace industry. In gas turbines or aviation engines, titanium blades compress air for propulsion. Therefore, the increase in aircraft sales supports the market’s expansion.
One of the major contributions to the global economy is the aviation sector. The global aerospace industry’s impact from commercial space is expanding faster thanks to strong passenger and freight demand.
Titanium has a better strength-to-weight quantitative relationship than steel and aluminum. As a result, prime bypass ratios are becoming increasingly necessary. And low-weight blisks are also in demand to compensate for the weight increase by the prime bypass quantitative relation.
Aerospace Titanium Blisk Market Size
One of the major industry developments is the production of blisks using two distinct methods. Directed energy deposition and PBF, using additive manufacturing techniques. The technique of additive manufacturing increases design freedom while reducing material waste.
The disadvantages of CNC machining, including chipping and design complexity, are eliminated by this method. In addition to reducing weight from the blade and the center of the disk. The approach also permits the creation of web-like structures to conserve material and further decrease weight.
One of the most significant components of a product’s overall cost is often the cost of raw materials. As raw material costs decline, so do product prices, raising demand for the product. Recent price decreases in titanium blisk will boost demand for the material in aeronautical applications.
Aerospace Titanium Blisk Market Share
In manufacturing the blisks using a method known as linear friction welding, one of the main possibilities for major companies in the aerospace titanium blisk market exists. With tremendous pressure, two moving parts are quickly forced against one another, producing heat and permanently fusing the pieces.
By doing this, a single piece of blisk is produced. Eliminating the complication of CNC production and the high cost associated with additive manufacturing. This not only conserves the material but also meets the demands for strength.
The aerospace titanium blisk industry is divided into three segments based on diameter: 70–80 cm, > 70 cm, and 80–90 cm. The titanium blisk market with a diameter under 70 cm has the biggest market share. This can be explained by the fact that business jets and most commercial aircraft use blisks with a diameter of less than 70 cm.
Aerospace Titanium Blisk Market Trends
However, due to the increasing use of this category in military and next-generation aircraft. The 80-90 cm titanium blisk segment is anticipated to experience the highest CAGR in this decade.
The demand for aerospace titanium blisk has been divided into general aviation, commercial, military, and others. With model and experimental aircrafts falling under the “others” group. However, commercial aerospace titanium blanks hold the largest share in the industry.
This is a result of increasing global demand for both passengers and cargo. The IATA reports that the count of scheduled passengers boarding commercial flights has increased significantly during the previous ten years.
The number of people traveling by air increased massively from around 310.4 million in 1970 to 4.3 billion in 2019, as per the World Bank. This is credited to the rapid expansion of airlines in terms of their fleet size and the constant entry of new airlines around the world. With the sustained surge in the number of people and amount of freight being transported by air, aircraft fleets are growing rapidly.
Aerospace Titanium Blisk Market Growth
As per P&S Intelligence, as air travel becomes affordable for a wider spectrum of the society. The aerospace titanium blisk market size will rise from $3,988.3 million in 2017 to $4,945.4 million by 2023. At a 3.7% CAGR between 2018 and 2023. This is because the blisk is one of the primary components of a jet engine. It consists of two parts: a rotating disc and the blades attached to it. Unlike conventional alternatives, wherein the blades are detachable from the disc. A blisk is a one-piece component made via additive manufacturing, computer numerical control (CNC) milling. Or welding the blades to the rotating disc permanently.
The rotor-and-blade assembly of an aircraft engine has to be strong enough to suck air at high speeds and sustain the extreme heat generated from the fuel’s combustion. Therefore, conventional materials are being replaced by titanium, which is the strongest metal on earth and even stronger so considering its weight. Thus, titanium blisks not only make the engine sturdy but also the aircraft lighter, which helps increase the lift and reduce the consumption of fuel. As per the Air Transportation Action Group (ATAG), in 2019, 915 million tonnes of CO2 were emitted by flights, which has put the spotlight on reducing the fuel consumption.
Aerospace Titanium Blisk Market Drivers
Titanium blisks are used in the engines of aircraft flying for commercial, general aviation, and military purposes, as well as in those of model and experimental aircraft. Because of the explosion in the number of air passengers, the demand for these components has been the highest for commercial aircraft. Even though the civil aviation sector is witnessing a COVID-induced slump presently, it is expected to revive rapidly in the coming years. For instance, Airbus forecasts that by 2038, 39,200 new freighter and passenger aircraft will be required.
Similarly, Boeing’s global fleet expansion forecast till 2039 stands at 43,110 aircraft additions. Hinting at similarly positive signs for the civil aviation sector post these dark times. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says that air traffic (in terms of the number of passengers) will reach almost 52% of the pre-COVID level by the end of 2021 and 82% by the end of 2022, ultimately surpassing this number in 2023. All these statistics reflect a massive impending demand for titanium blisks from aerospace companies, majorly those based in North America and Europe.
Aerospace Titanium Blisk Market Applications
North America is already the largest aerospace titanium blisk market as it is home to Boeing. The largest aerospace company in the world. It provides aircraft not just for commercial purposes, but to the military as well. Apart from regular airlines, a lot of chartered airlines and private jets operate in the region as it is home to many high-net-worth individuals. Apart from North America, the demand for such components is also rising sharply in Asia-Pacific (APAC) due to the establishment of domestic aerospace companies in the region.
