Modular Tool Guide Sleeves for Precise In-Situ Hole Drilling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inspection tools for gas turbine engines face challenges in providing precise tooling location and quick changeovers when drilling into complex components, leading to potential damage and increased engine removals due to powder metal defects in high-pressure compressor/high-pressure turbine disks.
Innovation Solution
A tooling support system with varying guide sleeves and anchors, integrated tool guides, and flexible drive sections, allowing for precise drilling and quick tool changeovers, while minimizing internal component damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If existing inspection tools are used for drilling into gas turbine engine components, then drilling operations can be performed, but precise tooling location and quick changeovers cannot be achieved, leading to potential damage and increased engine removals
Solution Approach 1:
The tooling support system is divided into separate modular components including anchors, tool guides, and guide sleeves that can be independently manufactured, installed, and replaced. This segmentation enables precise positioning of each component while allowing quick changeovers by simply replacing the relevant module without affecting the entire tooling system.
Solution Approach 2:
The tooling support system is designed with universal anchors and tool guides that can accommodate multiple different guide sleeves for various drilling operations. This multi-functionality allows the same base structure to support different tooling configurations, achieving precise location for different applications while reducing overall system complexity through component reuse.
2Productivity
If existing inspection tools are used for drilling operations, then drilling can be performed, but quick changeovers cannot be achieved, leading to increased engine removals
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple guide sleeves with different dimensions are pre-manufactured and can be quickly exchanged in the field. The anchors and tool guides are pre-installed in the engine structure, so when a changeover is needed, only the specific guide sleeve needs to be replaced rather than reconfiguring the entire tooling system, dramatically reducing changeover time and avoiding engine removals.
Solution Approach 2:
The tooling system is designed to be dynamically reconfigurable, allowing rapid exchange of guide sleeves based on the specific drilling operation required. This dynamic adaptability enables the system to quickly transition between different tooling configurations without requiring engine removal, thereby improving productivity and reducing downtime.
3Manufacturing precision
If existing inspection tools are used for drilling into complex components, then drilling operations can be performed, but internal component damage occurs due to imprecise tooling location
Solution Approach 1:
Guide sleeves serve as intermediary components between the tool guide and the drilling operation. These precisely fitted guide sleeves provide the final positioning reference for the drilling tool, ensuring accurate hole location while protecting internal components from damage by preventing tool misalignment. The intermediary guide sleeve absorbs the precision requirements, isolating the drilling operation from potential damage to surrounding components.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4A
AI summary
A tooling support system (201) includes tooling support elements (210, 220, 230). Each tooling support element (210, 220, 230) includes an anchor (240) mountable to an external component of a body being drilled into, a tool guide (260) supportable by the anchor (240) and defining a tooling pathway (261) and a guide sleeve (270) disposed at an end of the tooling pathway (261). Each of the guide sleeves (270) of the tooling support elements (210, 220, 230) has varying dimensions.