Vision-Guided Compressor Blade Rebuild With Batch Additive Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current additive manufacturing systems are inefficient in repairing or rebuilding damaged compressor blades in turbomachines, as traditional methods are labor-intensive and time-consuming, and existing direct-energy-deposition methods are not suitable for batch processing or large-scale repairs.
Innovation Solution
An additive manufacturing system that uses a vision system to determine the precise location and shape of pre-existing workpieces, allowing for the precise additively printing of extension segments directly onto multiple workpieces, enabling near net shape components with improved accuracy and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional welding/cladding techniques are used to repair compressor blades, then repair material can be bonded to the blade surface, but the process is labor-intensive and time-consuming with heavy machining and polishing required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical welding/cladding processes with additive manufacturing technology. The additive manufacturing system deposits material layer-by-layer directly onto the blade surface based on digital models, eliminating the need for heavy machining and polishing operations. This substitution of mechanical processes with automated additive manufacturing significantly reduces both labor intensity and repair time while achieving near-net-shape components.
2Ease of repair
If traditional repair methods are used on individual blades, then each blade can be repaired, but the process is tedious and results in large overall labor costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual blade repair operations into a single additive manufacturing build process. Multiple compressor blades can be positioned on a build plate and repaired simultaneously in one continuous additive manufacturing operation. This consolidation of previously sequential individual repairs into a parallel batch process dramatically increases productivity and reduces overall labor costs while maintaining the ease of repair through automated material deposition.
3Ease of manufacture
If direct-energy-deposition methods are used for blade repair, then material can be deposited on blades, but the methods are not suitable for batch processing or large-scale repairs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enhances the universality of the additive manufacturing system by designing it to handle multiple workpieces simultaneously. The system can process various types of compressor blades with different geometries and repair requirements in a single build operation. The build plate configuration and automated material deposition system are designed to accommodate batch processing, making the repair process adaptable to large-scale operations while maintaining ease of repair for individual components.
4Manufacturing precision
If components are additively printed on a build plate without precise location control, then components can be successfully printed as intended by the CAD model, but the specific location of final components is not of particular importance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the vision system captures images of the build plate and workpiece locations, and this visual information is used to update the print commands in real-time. The system determines the actual location of each workpiece on the build plate, compares it with the intended location from the CAD model, and automatically adjusts the additive manufacturing process to compensate for any deviations. This closed-loop feedback control enables precise component placement while maintaining batch processing efficiency.
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
The system enables quick and effective rebuilding or repairing of compressor blades with reduced labor costs and increased efficiency, allowing for batch processing and precise alignment of multiple components in a single build.
Implementation Method 1
a vision system configured to locate workpieces and an additive manufacturing machine configured to print on the workpieces
Implementation Method 2
an additive manufacturing machine configured to print on the workpieces
Data Source
AI summary
An additive manufacturing system may include a controller operably coupled to a vision system and an additive manufacturing machine. The controller may be configured to determine a workpiece-interface of each of a plurality of workpieces from one or more digital representations of one or more fields of view having been captured by a vision system and determining one or more coordinates of the workpiece-interface of respective ones of the plurality of workpieces, and to transmit one or more print commands to an additive manufacturing machine so as to additively print a plurality of extension segments on the workpiece-interface of respective ones of the plurality of workpieces, with the one or more print commands having been generated based at least in part on the one or more digital representations of the one or more fields of view.