You learn something new every day on this forum. Never thought that heavy presses were so strategic.
Titanium (And its alloys) is a very odd metal compared to most (this is detailed long subject in itself as to why).
For example its machinability is really bad (compared to say steel).
This has specific considerations to think of and develop when it comes to both hot and cold presses (and tolerances regarding that with economics in mind) depending on both part size and also machining + further heat treatments and applications....again with economics in mind.
The arguably largest non-conventional use for titanium in history was the soviet attempt at submarine hulls using it (specifically to make use of its non-magnetic nature). They made some test examples, but the costs proved prohibitive from the manufacturing end. NATO did not even attempt anything like this, largest bulk titanium app. was kept at most to aerospace skin fab I believe.
The time used, manpower used, research capacity used, CNC tools used etc etc for what you get and the end QC etc must always be considered and balanced.
It is not an easy mainstream metal at all compared to ones (steel etc) that have 90%+ of the core techniques well established and scaled in many more countries.
This is why 3D printing of it would also need heavy RnD with end use QC in mind.
That's why specifically for titanium, there is set of presses and CNC techniques very much concentrated (i.e the investment heavy optimised capital machinery) around where the largest factories of titanium aeroengine parts are in the world. US, France, UK, Canada and Germany I would say are top 5 in western world, roughy in that order too.
