A major success for the LKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen, part of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology: with an innovative hot deep-drawing process for forming titanium sheets, the research team led by Carina Schlögl impressed the jury of the Upper Austrian Innovation Award 2026 and took third place in the ‘Research Institutions’ category. The award-winning process makes it possible to form high-strength titanium sheets at significantly lower temperatures and with shorter processing times than was previously the case. At the LKR, work is underway to further develop innovative forming technologies for light metals in order to reduce process costs, production times and energy consumption. The aim is to achieve more energy-efficient, resource-conserving and productive manufacturing – particularly for demanding applications in the aerospace sector.
Forming titanium at temperatures below 500 °C: a technological leap
Titanium is an indispensable material for the aerospace industry due to its high specific strength, low weight and corrosion resistance. However, its processing poses major challenges for the industry: conventional methods for forming the widely used titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V often require temperatures of 840 to 930 °C and comparatively long processing times. Furthermore, prolonged exposure to high temperatures can lead to the formation of a brittle, oxygen-rich surface layer – the so-called α-case layer – which must subsequently be removed in a labour-intensive process.
With ‘Titania’, the LKR demonstrates that titanium sheets can be successfully deep-drawn even at temperatures below 500 °C. The key to this is an innovative process in which the sheet is preheated to temperatures below those typically used for superplastic forming and is then formed in the press. As isothermal forming is not effective at these low temperatures, the process relies on targeted preheating followed by forming in the press.
This enables significantly shorter forming times. At the same time, more cost-effective tools made from conventional hot-work steels can be used instead of expensive nickel-based alloys, which are required at higher forming temperatures. This reduces energy and resource consumption and improves the economic viability of industrial application.
“With Titania, we are demonstrating that the forming of titanium can be made fundamentally more efficient. The combination of significantly lower temperatures, considerably shorter process times and excellent forming results opens up new possibilities for the industrial processing of this challenging material. It is particularly pleasing that we have already been able to demonstrate the process’s effectiveness using specific components and reproducible results”, explains Carina Schlögl, authorised signatory at the LKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen.
From successful forming to industrial application
The process’s capabilities were demonstrated in several development stages: as early as 2022, a test component was successfully formed with a draw depth of 44 millimetres. Through targeted optimisations, this was increased to 68.5 millimetres – the maximum depth of the test die used. At the same time, it was possible to further reduce the preheating time, preheating temperature and deep-drawing temperature.
The fact that forming can also be carried out successfully with rougher surfaces is an additional advantage for industrial production: the amount of grinding required can be reduced, thereby eliminating a further machining step.
The resulting component properties are also promising. For instance, an elongation at break of over ten per cent was achieved without any additional heat treatment following deep drawing. Initial trials with two-stage forming processes were also successful and suggest that, in future, even more complex, multi-stage processes without intermediate heat treatment may be possible.
Another significant advantage is that no brittle α-case layer was detected on the component surface. The comparatively short exposure to high temperatures limits oxygen absorption and thus the formation of this undesirable surface layer. This could reduce the need for time-consuming post-treatment steps.
Austrian and international patent applications have already been filed for the process. This lays the groundwork for further developing the technology and realising its potential for industrial application.
ProMetHeus: Research into more efficient light metal processing
Building on the LKR’s research expertise, research into innovative forming technologies for titanium is being carried out as part of the ‘Titania’ project, a sub-project of the COMET project ProMetHeus. The focus is on reducing process costs, production times and energy consumption, as well as developing resource-efficient manufacturing methods. In this way, the research makes an important contribution to the efficiency and competitiveness of industrial production.
Research with an impact: less energy, higher productivity
Christian Chimani, Head of Center for Transport Technologies at AIT and Managing Director at the LKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen, emphasises the importance of the project for sustainable industrial production: “Innovations such as Titania demonstrate how applied research can bring about tangible improvements for industry. Lower process temperatures, shorter production times and reduced resource consumption are key factors in strengthening the competitiveness of production whilst simultaneously reducing its environmental footprint. The third place at the Upper Austrian Innovation Award is a valuable recognition of our team’s research achievements and underlines AIT’s commitment to developing technological solutions with practical benefits for industry.”
About the Upper Austrian Innovation Award
The Upper Austrian State Innovation Award recognises the innovative strength of Upper Austrian companies and research institutions. It honours forward-looking developments that enable technological progress, strengthen competitiveness and provide impetus for economic development. The awards are presented in the categories ‘Small and Medium-sized Enterprises’, ‘Large Enterprises’ and ‘Research Institutions’.
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