Solid Retainer Joint Assembly for Low-Temperature Component Joining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Casting large or complex metal articles as a single piece can result in deviations from specifications or tolerance, and existing methods fail to address these issues, and existing methods for joining separate components require expensive and difficult equipment, and existing methods fail to efficiently join components without exposing them to high temperatures that can cause microstructural changes or require disassembly.
Innovation Solution
Joining components using a solid retainer material that forms a mechanical interlock without melting, such as a superalloy or ceramic, to create a mechanical interlock at low temperatures, eliminating the need for large equipment and disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If components are joined using thermal processes such as welding, then strong bonding is achieved, but high temperatures cause microstructural changes and require expensive, complex equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal joining processes (welding, brazing) with a mechanical interlocking system. Solid retainer modules are inserted into cavities in both components, creating mechanical anchors that physically lock the components together without requiring high temperatures or complex thermal equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the joining temperature parameter from high (welding temperatures) to low (room temperature or mildly elevated temperatures). The solid retainer material is inserted in its solid state and forms mechanical interlocks without melting or phase change, fundamentally altering the thermal parameter of the joining process.
2Stability of the object's composition
If large or complex articles are cast as a single piece, then structural integrity is maintained, but deviations from specifications and tolerance occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides complex articles into separate castable components that can be manufactured with high precision and tight tolerances. These components are then joined using solid retainer modules that create mechanical interlocks, achieving both the structural integrity of a single-piece construction and the manufacturing precision of smaller, segmented components.
3Reliability
If existing joining methods are used, then components are bonded together, but expensive and difficult equipment is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex thermal joining equipment (welding machines, brazing furnaces) with simple mechanical insertion tools. The solid retainer modules are inserted into pre-formed cavities using straightforward mechanical means, eliminating the need for expensive, complex thermal processing equipment while maintaining reliable joining.
4Strength
If components are joined at high temperatures, then bonding is achieved, but microstructural changes occur in the components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from high (causing microstructural changes) to low (preserving microstructural stability). The solid retainer material forms mechanical interlocks at room temperature or mildly elevated temperatures, preventing unwanted phase transformations, grain growth, or other microstructural changes in the base components.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure describes example techniques and assemblies for joining a first component and a second component. The techniques may include positioning the first and second component adjacent to each other to define a joint region between adjacent portions of the first component and the second component. The techniques may also include inserting a solid retainer material into the joint region through an aperture in one of the first component or the second component to form a mechanical interlock between the first component and the second component and sealing the aperture to retain the solid retainer material within the joint region. The solid retainer material includes at least one of a metal, a metal alloy, or a ceramic.