Case Study · Automotive
Forged and 5-Axis Machined 2A14 Compressor Wheels for a European Turbocharger Supplier
A European turbocharger component manufacturer
- Higher material utilization than machining from bar
- ~40%
- Batch pass rate of forged blanks
- ≥ 96%
- Sample lead time
- 3–4 weeks
At a Glance
- Client: a European manufacturer of turbocharger components (name withheld at the client’s request)
- Product: compressor wheels, 80–130 mm diameter, 11–17 blades, forged blank weight 0.35–0.7 kg
- Material: 2A14 aluminum alloy, T6
- Process: precision hot die forging → T6 heat treatment → 5-axis precision machining by Aviaforge
- Volume: tens of thousands of blanks a year
The Challenge
A compressor wheel spins at very high speed and sees cyclic loads every time the engine accelerates. Its fatigue life depends on a dense, uniform material structure.
The client had been using cast wheel blanks. Shrinkage porosity inside the castings raised the risk of fatigue failure at high speed, and part-to-part consistency was poor.
Our Solution
Aviaforge forges the wheel blank from 2A14 aluminum, a heat-treatable, high-strength forging alloy, and machines the finished blade profile in-house.
- Forging: precision hot die forging
- Heat treatment: T6
- Machining: 5-axis precision machining by Aviaforge; dynamic balancing is done by the client
- Testing: X-ray inspection, fluorescent penetrant testing, Brinell hardness testing and sample metallographic analysis; overspeed testing is carried out in the client’s own laboratory
Results
- About 40% higher material utilization than machining the wheel from bar stock
- Batch pass rate of 96% or more for forged blanks
- Lead times: 3–4 weeks for samples, 5–7 weeks for production orders
