TiAl Alloy Impeller Blade Machining to Prevent Edge Chipping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing TiAl alloy impellers with blades of the required thickness is challenging due to defects like chipping at the outer edges, which reduces efficiency and yield, and existing methods like casting, forging, and metal injection molding face limitations in achieving precise machining accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a blank preparation step followed by additional work on the TiAl alloy impeller blades to increase the outer edge thickness, using precision casting, forging, or metal injection molding, and then performing additional work to achieve the required shape and thickness, potentially including cutting or electrochemical machining, while maintaining productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the thickness of the outer edge of each blade is increased to suppress chipping defects, then the reliability of the impeller is improved, but the efficiency of the impeller deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The blank is prepared with an increased outer edge thickness before final machining, allowing the subsequent additional work step to precisely reduce the thickness to the required value. This preliminary action ensures that the blade has sufficient material during manufacturing to prevent chipping, while the final dimensions are optimized for efficiency.
2Productivity
If conventional manufacturing methods like casting, forging, or metal injection molding are used, then the productivity of impeller manufacturing is improved, but the manufacturing precision of blade thickness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is divided into two distinct stages: blank preparation where the outer edge thickness is intentionally increased, and additional work where the thickness is precisely reduced to the required value. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently - the first for productivity and the second for precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The blank is prepared with an increased outer edge thickness before final machining, allowing the subsequent additional work step to precisely reduce the thickness to the required value. This preliminary action ensures that the blade has sufficient material during manufacturing to prevent chipping, while the final dimensions are optimized for efficiency.
3Productivity
If the outer edge thickness is reduced to improve impeller efficiency, then the efficiency is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to chipping defects
Solution Approach 1:
The blank is prepared with an increased outer edge thickness before final machining, allowing the subsequent additional work step to precisely reduce the thickness to the required value. This preliminary action ensures that the blade has sufficient material during manufacturing to prevent chipping, while the final dimensions are optimized for efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a TiAl alloy impeller includes a blank preparation step in which a blank of the TiAl alloy impeller is prepared, wherein the blank has a shaft portion and a plurality of blades, and a thickness of an outer edge of each of the blades of the blank is set so as to be larger than a thickness of an outer edge of a blade of the TiAl alloy impeller, and an additional work step in which an additional work is performed on each of the blades of the blank. In the additional work step, the additional work is performed on a first surface of a portion that includes at least the outer edge of each of the blades or the first surface and a second surface of the portion thereof.