Before & After: How we strengthen 3D-printed parts for flight. When we 3D print High-Pressure Turbine (HPT) vanes for our Symphony engine, what you don’t see is just as important as what you do. Before: Fresh off the printer, parts can contain microscopic voids (tiny flaws that act like stress magnets). They also hold onto residual stresses from the printing process itself. After: We use Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) to apply 2,100°F and 25,000 psi for 4 hours, collapsing internal voids and densifying the part. Then, we apply Heat Treatment (HT): 2,300°F for 2 hours, followed by rapid cooling at a rate of 230°F per minute. This relieves internal stress and toughens the metal. The result? Stronger, more stable, flight-ready vanes.
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