Representative image — customer parts covered by NDA
Customer background
An aerospace OEM developing a new turbine design approached WFX after struggling to find a supplier able to hold aerospace tolerances on thin-walled titanium parts at a workable cost. The components were flight-critical, demanding full material traceability and documented inspection on every feature.
The challenge
The turbine components combined three difficulties that each drive cost on their own — and multiply when combined. The material was Ti-6Al-4V, which work-hardens, conducts heat poorly, and wears tools quickly. The geometry featured thin walls prone to vibration and deflection under cutting load. And the drawing demanded ±0.005mm on critical features with a Ra 16 μin surface finish, tolerances that leave no room for thermal drift or fixturing error.
The customer's previous supplier had been quoting long lead times with first-pass yields below 80% — unacceptable scrap economics in titanium.
Our solution
Our engineering team reviewed the model during DFM and proposed a single-setup strategy on our DMG MORI 5-axis machining centers. Machining all critical features in one clamping eliminated the tolerance stack-up between setups that had caused the previous yield problems.
For the titanium itself we applied dedicated cutting strategies: high-pressure through-tool coolant to control heat at the cutting edge, reduced radial engagement to limit work hardening, and constant-chip-load toolpaths to protect the thin walls. Tool life was tracked per part so inserts were changed before wear could push dimensions out of tolerance.
Every part was verified on a temperature-controlled CMM against the full drawing, with FAI documentation in AS9102 format and mill certificates tied to each serial number — the traceability chain our ISO9001 quality system maintains for all aerospace work.
Project specifications
| Material | Titanium Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5) |
| Process | 5-axis simultaneous machining, single setup |
| Critical tolerance | ±0.005mm |
| Surface finish | Ra 16 μin on sealing faces |
| Inspection | 100% CMM, AS9102 FAI |
| Industry | Aerospace |
Results
First-pass yield reached 100% from the first production lot — no titanium scrapped. The single-setup approach and optimized toolpaths cut total machining cost by 40% against the previous supplier's pricing, and parts shipped in three weeks including full documentation. The customer has since moved two further turbine programs to WFX.
