Manufacturing Process Qualification via Common Geometric Features
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Solution Overview
Problem
The process for qualifying component manufacturing processes, such as those for gas turbine engines, is expensive and time-consuming, necessitating improved systems and methods for demonstrating manufacturing process reliability and consistency.
Innovation Solution
A method involving obtaining manufacturing data from qualified components with common geometric features, modeling the manufacturing process, obtaining process parameters, and qualifying the process by modifying it to include these parameters, while indexing and storing data in a database to establish physics equivalence and determine process capability or performance metrics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional manufacturing process qualification is performed for each component, then manufacturing process reliability is demonstrated, but the process becomes expensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal qualification system where manufacturing data from qualified components can be reused across multiple components with common geometric features. By indexing geometric features and storing their manufacturing data in a database, the system enables one qualification process to serve multiple components, eliminating redundant qualification activities and reducing both time and cost while maintaining reliability demonstration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary qualification by establishing physics equivalence between different manufacturing processes through modeling. By pre-establishing relationships between process parameters and geometric features, and pre-storing manufacturing data in a database, the system prepares qualification information in advance that can be quickly retrieved and applied to new components, significantly reducing the time required for each individual qualification.
2Reliability
If conventional manufacturing process qualification is performed for each component, then manufacturing process reliability is demonstrated, but the process becomes expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal qualification system where manufacturing data from qualified components can be reused across multiple components with common geometric features. By indexing geometric features and storing their manufacturing data in a database, the system enables one qualification process to serve multiple components, eliminating redundant qualification activities and reducing both time and cost while maintaining reliability demonstration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies of manufacturing data and process models from previously qualified components. By storing manufacturing data, process parameters, and physics equivalence models in a database that can be queried and reused, the system replaces expensive physical re-qualification with efficient digital information retrieval and application, significantly reducing qualification costs while maintaining reliability.
3Measurement precision
If manufacturing data is collected and stored for each component, then process capability can be determined, but data management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments manufacturing data by geometric features rather than by entire components. By indexing and storing data at the geometric feature level (e.g., surfaces, holes, slots) with unique identification codes, the system allows selective retrieval and reuse of specific feature data across different components. This segmentation reduces data management complexity by organizing information into reusable, modular units while maintaining precise process capability measurements for each feature type.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for qualifying a manufacturing process for a first component including a common geometric feature includes obtaining manufacturing data for the common geometric feature. The manufacturing data is associated with one or more qualified second components. The one or more qualified second components are different than the first component. Each of the one or more qualified second components include the common geometric feature. The method further includes modeling the manufacturing process for the common geometric feature of the one or more qualified second components using the manufacturing data, modeling the manufacturing process for the common geometric feature of the first component, obtaining manufacturing process parameters for the manufacturing process for the common geometric feature of the one or more qualified second components, and qualifying the manufacturing process for the common geometric feature of the first component.