Turbine blades are among the most demanding components in aerospace and energy applications. Manufactured from nickel superalloys — materials selected for their resistance to extreme heat and mechanical stress — they are typically produced from solid billets through intensive subtractive machining. In aerospace manufacturing, the buy-to-fly ratio (the mass of the starting billet relative to the mass of the finished part) can exceed 10, meaning that over 90% of raw material is removed as chips. This generates significant waste of costly feedstock, in addition to the energy and emissions associated with machining.

Laser Powder Bed Fusion offers a path toward near-net-shape production: parts built close to their final geometry, reducing the machining stock required. But near-net-shape does not mean zero machining. Thin-walled components such as turbine blades present a specific challenge: the relationship between AM build offset and downstream milling stability is not yet well understood. Too little offset, and post-processing becomes difficult or impossible. Too much, and the material savings are lost. This gap — sitting precisely at the interface between additive and subtractive manufacturing communities — is what Pilot #5 directly investigates.