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M. Nithin srinivas,
S. N. Padhi,
- M.Tech Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Koneru Laksmaiah Education Foundation, Vaddeswaram, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, India
- Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Koneru Laksmaiah Education Foundation, Vaddeswaram, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, India
Abstract
The synergy involved in the merging of additive and subtractive manufacturing technologies is the game changer to generate multi-material functionally graded components to be used in the aerospace industries. The paper is an in-depth review of a proposed hybrid additive-subtractive manufacturing, which synergistically merges laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) fashioning with rapid computer numerical control finishing production processes. The multi-material deposition, thermal issues, and optimization of post-processing are the challenges faced by the technique that have been considered analytically towards realizing ever-heaviest component performance and manufacturing efficiency. Advanced technology developed under a novel multi-material powder delivery system allows controlling the formation of composition gradients with high precision. It can also make predictions of reducing the residual stress in the LPBF process by an advanced thermal effects model. Real-time monitoring process, adaptive control systems, and intelligent tool path planning are also integrated in order to provide maximum optimization to the transition process between additive and subtractive operations. Experimental validation on Ti-6Al-4V/Inconel 625 functionally graded aerospace components demonstrates exceptional results: 68% reduction in surface roughness (from 25.6 μm to 8.2 μm Ra), 45% improvement in dimensional accuracy (±0.05 mm tolerance achievement), 52% increase in fatigue life, and 35% reduction in total processing time compared to conventional manufacturing approaches. The hybrid system is 97% efficient on material utilization and allows geometrical complex parts to be manufactured that would not have been produced with previous production methods. In three aerospace industry manufacturing facilities, a return of investment of 312%, along with break-even from between 18 months and five years, was spotted.
Keywords: Hybrid manufacturing, Additive -subtractive integration, Laser powder bed fusion, Multi-material processing, functionally graded materials, Aerospace manufacturing.
M. Nithin srinivas, S. N. Padhi. Hybrid Additive-Subtractive Manufacturing of Multi-Material Functionally Graded Components: Integration of Laser Powder Bed Fusion with High-Speed CNC Finishing for Aerospace Applications. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(02):-.
M. Nithin srinivas, S. N. Padhi. Hybrid Additive-Subtractive Manufacturing of Multi-Material Functionally Graded Components: Integration of Laser Powder Bed Fusion with High-Speed CNC Finishing for Aerospace Applications. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(02):-. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jopc/article=2026/view=239794
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Journal of Polymer & Composites
| Volume | 14 |
| 02 | |
| Received | 03/11/2025 |
| Accepted | 17/11/2025 |
| Published | 07/04/2026 |
| Publication Time | 155 Days |
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