METHOD OF MANUFACTURING TURBINE AIRFOIL

• Main Authors: GARAY, Gregory Terrence, MEYER, Mark Kevin, KONITZER, Douglas Gerard, CARTER, William Thomas
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 27.03.2024
• Subjects: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY; ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OFTHREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVEAGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING,STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING; BLASTING; CASTING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; COMBINED OPERATIONS; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; FOUNDRY MOULDING; HEATING; LIGHTING; MACHINE TOOLS; MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAMTURBINES; OTHER WORKING OF METAL; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POWDER METALLURGY; SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; STEAM ENGINES; TRANSPORTING; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS; WEAPONS; WELDING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM; WORKING METALLIC POWDER

Methods of manufacturing or repairing a turbine blade or vane are described. The airfoil portions of these turbine components are typically manufactured by casting in a ceramic mold, and a surface made up of the cast airfoil and at the least the ceramic core serves as a build surface for a subsequent process of additively manufacturing the tip portions. The build surface is created by removing a top portion of the airfoil and the core, or by placing an ultra-thin shim on top of the airfoil and the core. The overhang projected by the shim is subsequently removed. These methods are not limited to turbine engine applications, but can be applied to any metallic object that can benefit from casting and additive manufacturing processes. The present disclosure also relates to finished and intermediate products prepared by these methods.