Blisk Cutting with Temporary Bridging to Limit Deformation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The manufacturing of one-piece blisks for aircraft turbine engines faces challenges with deformations and vibrations during the abrasive water jet cutting process, leading to increased production times and tool wear, which negatively impact the quality and cost of the final product.

Innovation Solution

The method involves cutting a block of material using an abrasive water jet to reveal blade preforms while retaining connecting means between them, which are then removed, allowing for higher feed rates and reducing deformations and vibrations, thus minimizing tool wear and production costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If cutting by abrasive water jet is used to remove material from the starting block, then manufacturing time and cost are reduced, but deformations and vibrations of the blades occur during the process

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing speedVSAvoidblade deformation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies preliminary action by retaining connecting means between blade preforms before the cutting process begins. These connecting means are removed only after the cutting is complete, allowing the blades to be manufactured with high feed rates while preventing deformations and vibrations that would otherwise occur during the cutting process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The connecting means act as an intermediary element between the blade preforms during manufacturing. This intermediary structure provides mechanical support and stability to the blades during the abrasive water jet cutting process, enabling higher feed rates without compromising blade quality. The connecting means are subsequently removed to produce the final one-piece blisk.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If reduced feed rates are applied to limit blade deformations, then manufacturing precision is improved, but production time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveblade qualityVSAvoidproduction time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The connecting means are installed in advance before the cutting process, providing structural support that enables high feed rates. This preliminary action eliminates the need to use reduced feed rates, thereby maintaining both high manufacturing precision and short production times.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The connecting means serve as a temporary intermediary structure that allows the use of high feed rates during cutting. By providing this intermediate support, the system achieves both high productivity and high manufacturing precision simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between speed and quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If high feed rates are applied to reduce production time, then productivity is improved, but blade deformations and vibrations increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction speedVSAvoidblade deformation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The connecting means act as a temporary intermediary structure that provides mechanical support to the blade preforms during high-speed cutting. This intermediary support enables the use of high feed rates to achieve short production times while preventing blade deformations and vibrations that would normally occur at such speeds.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the structural parameter of the blade assembly by adding connecting means between preforms. This parameter change allows the system to operate at high feed rates without experiencing the deformations and vibrations that would normally limit cutting speed, thereby achieving both high productivity and high precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Manufacturing precision

If extended manufacturing times are used to reduce vibrations, then manufacturing precision is improved, but tool wear increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveblade qualityVSAvoidtool wear
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The connecting means are installed in advance to provide structural support during cutting. This preliminary action enables high feed rates to be used, which reduces manufacturing time and consequently reduces tool wear, while still maintaining high manufacturing precision through the support provided by the connecting means.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The connecting means serve as a temporary intermediary that enables high-speed cutting by preventing blade vibrations. This intermediary structure allows the process to achieve both high precision and low tool wear by eliminating the need for extended manufacturing times.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach significantly reduces deformations and vibrations, enabling higher feed rates and shorter production times while maintaining the quality of the blisk, thereby reducing tool wear and production costs.

Implementation Method 1

a step of cutting a block of material by abrasive water jet

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAbrasion: Abrasion

Data Source

PatentEP2257410B1Method for producing a one-piece bladed disc, with temporary blade-supporting ring
Publication Date: 2016.09.07 SN DETUDE & DE CONSTR DE MOTEURS DAVIATION (S N E C M A)
  • EP2257410B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2257410B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP2257410B1 patent drawingFigure 2c~2d

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for producing a one-piece bladed disc, comprising: a step in which an abrasive water jet is used to cut a block of material (100) in such a way as to leave behind preforms (102) extending radially from a disc (4), while keeping the material forming bridging means (112) between at least two directly consecutive blade preforms, the bridging means being radially remote from the disc; and then a step in which the bridging means (112) are removed.