Snecma and Mecachrome Sign Contract for Titanium Aluminide Blades For LEAP Engine

Aerospace engine maker Snecma and precision engineering company Mecachrome signed a procurement contract for titanium-aluminide (TiAl) blade...

Aerospace engine maker Snecma and precision engineering company Mecachrome signed a procurement contract for titanium-aluminide (TiAl) blades for the low-pressure turbine of the under development CFM International LEAP high bypass turbofan engine.

The Titanium Aluminide (TiAl), an alloy of titanium and aluminum, is a new-generation material with outstanding thermal properties, capable of withstanding up to 750°C.

TiAl will cut the weight of a blade by half compared to the nickel-based alloys traditionally used in low-pressure turbines.

LEAP engines will be the first to feature TiAl blades on a single-aisle commercial jet, offering 15% lower fuel consumption than the best engines now in service.

Snecma and Mecachrome developed a special manufacturing process for TiAI blades, and created a complete production facility, located at Mecachrome’s plant in Sablé-sur-Sarthe, France.

Mass production of these blades will begin in 2015, with a planned production rate of one blade every three minutes in 2019.
LEAP engines are produced and marketed by CFM International, a 50-50 joint venture of Snecma and GE.