ABSTRACT
Spray forming generally refers to a near net-shape material synthesis approach that combines melting, atomization, deposition, and consolidation into a single-step process to produce coherent, near fully dense preforms. Due to extremely low tooling costs and fewer secondary forming steps than conventional ingot/casting or powder metallurgy (PM) processes, spray forming is emerging as a cost-effective means for processing high performance materials. Consequently, this technology is being evaluated in the United States, Europe, and Japan as an alternative processing route for a variety of applications in aerospace, marine, defense, and automotive industries [l].
