Mini-Core Bonding With Fixed-Paste Protrusion Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for bonding mini-cores to turbine vane cores are inefficient due to the difficulty in metering the correct amount of viscous paste, leading to poor joint interfaces and requiring skilled technicians for manual cleaning, which is labor-intensive and variable, and the thickened paste is hard to work with, resulting in unreliable joints.
Innovation Solution
A method involving mini-cores with attachment devices such as protrusions, posts, or bumpers that are dipped into a paste to transfer a fixed quantity, which is then affixed to the core surface, forming a fillet at the base, allowing for a consistent and reliable bond without the need for precise paste metering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If paste is metered into the hole using conventional methods, then the bonding process can proceed, but it is difficult to achieve the correct amount of paste due to the viscous nature of the paste, leading to poor joint interface
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows the paste to be applied automatically through the dispensing mechanism without requiring manual metering or adjustment by the operator. The viscous paste flows into the hole under its own weight and the geometry of the dispensing tip, eliminating the need for complex metering controls.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the paste application process by using a specific viscosity range (400-1700 centipoise) and controlling the dispensing rate and hole geometry to achieve proper paste filling without complex metering mechanisms.
2Reliability
If manual cleaning of the bond area is performed, then the bond area can be prepared, but the process is difficult, labor intensive and variable due to the small and inaccessible area
Solution Approach 1:
The bonding surface is prepared in advance through machining or grinding operations that create a flat, clean surface with appropriate geometry for paste retention. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for manual cleaning during the bonding process itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning function is extracted from the bonding process itself and performed as a separate preliminary operation, allowing the actual bonding to proceed without interruption for manual cleaning of inaccessible areas.
3Stability of the object's composition
If paste is thickened with filler to prevent shrink, then shrinkage is prevented, but the paste becomes hard to work with and does not flow well
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the paste formulation by controlling the viscosity within a specific range (400-1700 centipoise) and using minimal or no filler materials. This parameter optimization allows the paste to maintain both shrinkage resistance and good flow characteristics for easy application.
Solution Approach 2:
The paste is formulated as a composite material with specific rheological properties, combining binding agents and fillers in optimized proportions to achieve both structural stability (shrinkage prevention) and processability (flowability).
4Manufacturing precision
If a skilled technician performs manual bonding, then high quality bonds can be achieved, but it requires over an hour to bond only five mini-cores
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs the bonding operation automatically without requiring skilled manual intervention. The automated dispensing and positioning mechanisms replicate and maintain the quality of skilled technician work while dramatically increasing throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual dexterity and skill are replaced with automated mechanical systems including precision dispensing mechanisms and positioning systems that can bond mini-cores rapidly and consistently without human intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of bonding a mini-core to a surface of a core is provided. The method includes providing the mini-core with an attachment device that includes a protrusion of a surface of the mini-core, dipping the protrusion into a supply of paste to transfer a fixed quantity of paste to the protrusion and affixing the protrusion to the surface of the core with the fixed amount of paste interposed between the surface and the protrusion.