ITA Applications Conference Introduces New Format

The 14th Annual International Titanium Conference will be held in Monaco, October 4th through the 8th, 1998.

This year's conference has a new look! This is the first time the conference has been held in Europe and the first time it will feature both general sessions and workshops running simultaneously. Ed Speer, Acting Executive Director of the ITA, is excited about the new format. According to Mr. Speer, conference attendees will have a choice of attending the general sessions or participating in workshops. The workshops will feature short presentations, followed by questions and answers. Mr. Speer hopes that the new workshop format will encourage more audience participation. A moderator will help guide the sessions, which will be limited to 60 participants.

The conference will kick off with a state of the industry discussion by executives from the major titanium producers. Oremet-Wah Chang's Dr. Carlos Aguirre will discuss "Strategic Alliances in High Performance Metals."

Topics for both the general sessions and the workshops include titanium melting, casting, welding, metal matrix composites, extruded shapes, surface treatment of titanium, titanium in the CPI and in next-generation aircraft. Other presentations include talks on the use of titanium in the food industry, military, marine applications, titanium in aircraft engines and aerospace fasteners, medical implants, and titanium springs.

Sample of Sessions

On Wednesday, October 7 at 10:30 AM, Mr. John R Silk, Plymouth Tube Company, will discuss near net extruded shapes. The use of an extruded shape is a more economical alternative to costly bar and plate products. The major advantages of near net extrusions are the fact that they greatly minimize material usage and machining time. In addition, a near net shape in titanium has no recurring tooling or setup charges. Manufacturing costs, in some cases, have been reduced by as much as 50%. Custom shapes are easily made with a proprietary die making process. Near net titanium extrusions are widely used in the manufacture of military aircraft, but are finding increasing usage and acceptance for commercial jet aerostructures.

On Tuesday, October 6, 11:00 AM, Charles Pepka from Renton Coil Spring will discuss titanium springs for applications where there are weight and volume concerns. He is the current President of the Spring Manufacturers Institute. A spring made from titanium is approximately 30% the size of a steel spring. Titanium springs are corrosion resistant, have a longer cycle time, and are less prone to failure than most other types of material. Markets for these springs are aerospace, automotive racing, and space applications, but Mr. Pepka says that there are many other areas where the titanium springs will offer significant advantages. Computer design technology allows his company to simulate and optimize the spring design.

On Tuesday, October 6, 4:00 PM, Susan Abkowitz of Dynamet Technology Inc. will discuss her company's patented titanium matrix composites, CermeTi® and DensiTiTM produced by economical powder metal technology. The main advantages of CermeTi® are wear resistance, modulus, and elevated temperature strength. The main advantage of DensiTiTM is its high strength-to-weight ratio. Major markets for these discontinuously reinforced composites are automotive, high performance sporting goods, industrial, aerospace and defense applications.

Exhibit Hail and Reception

The High Performance Metals Group of Allegheny Teledyne Incorporated will be hosting a special reception (Wednesday, October 7) before the ITA banquet in the spectacular Monte Carlo Sporting Club. HPMG will also have a booth in the exhibition hall.

For more information on the conference, contact the ITA at 303-443-7515. We look forward to seeing you in Monaco! 

The 6A1-4V, near net dimension, titanium extrusion (right hand view is used to manufacture the F018, U.S. Navy jet, vertical spar section (left hand view). The extrusion represents a tremendous cost savings in both material and finish machining. Mr John P. Silk of Plymouth Tube Company will discuss near net extruded shapes October 7 at 10:30 a.m. during the ITA conference (see sample of sessions).