Turbomachine Component Manufacturing Using Solid Metal Inserts
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing powder metallurgy hot isostatic pressing (P/M-HIP) technology for manufacturing turbomachine components often requires multiple trials and simulations to achieve accurate dimensional tolerances, leading to high costs and long production times, especially for single-part or small-series production, due to significant deformations caused by metal powder shrinkage during the process.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating fully solid metal inserts within the container, particularly in regions with high metal powder mass, to minimize shrinkage and deformations, allowing for reduced simulations and manufacturing trials by maintaining the inserts within the component post-manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If metal powder is used for manufacturing turbomachine components through P/M-HIP, then the technology allows manufacturing of complex shapes including internal channels, but significant deformations occur during the process due to metal powder shrinkage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state parameter of the insert material from powder to fully solid metal, which fundamentally alters the shrinkage behavior during HIP process. The solid insert maintains dimensional stability while the surrounding powder consolidates, enabling precise control of final part dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure during manufacturing by combining fully solid metal inserts with consolidated metal powder in a single component. This composite approach allows different regions to have different shrinkage characteristics, with the solid insert acting as a dimensional reference that compensates for powder shrinkage.
2Manufacturing precision
If simulations and manufacturing trials are conducted to achieve accurate dimensional tolerances, then the required design dimensional tolerances can be met, but the time and cost for starting production increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The solid metal inserts are prepared and positioned in advance within the container before the HIP process begins. This preliminary placement of dimensionally stable references eliminates the need for extensive post-process trials and simulations, as the inserts pre-determine the final geometry of internal channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The solid metal inserts serve as physical templates or copies of the desired internal channel geometry. By embedding these solid copies within the powder during manufacturing, the final part automatically replicates the insert's precise dimensions without requiring multiple trial runs to achieve accuracy.
3Quantity of substance
If the container and cores are deformed during P/M-HIP process due to heat and pressure, then the metal powder consolidates, but the shape, size and position of internal channels change
Solution Approach 1:
The solid metal inserts act as counterweights to the shrinkage forces acting on the metal powder. While the powder tends to shrink and deform under HIP conditions, the solid inserts resist this deformation due to their fully dense structure, thereby compensating and balancing the overall dimensional changes of the component.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces the time and cost associated with producing new parts by minimizing shape, size, and position changes of internal channels, enabling more accurate and efficient manufacturing without the need for extensive real-world trials.
Implementation Method 1
the powder is consolidated by a Hot Isostatic Pressure thermal cycle
Implementation Method 2
when heat and pressure is applied, not only the metal powder, but also the container and the cores, if any, deform
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The method of manufacturing a component (40) of a turbomachine by powder metal hot isostatic pressing uses a container (41) defining outside surfaces (42A, 42B, 42C, 42D, 42E, 42F, 42G, 42H) of the component (40); a metal insert (443) is located inside the container (41) before filling the container (41) with metal powder; the insert (443) is left in the component (40) after the end of its manufacturing. Advantageously, a metal core (44) is located inside the container (41) before filling the container (41) with metal powder, the core (44) is removed from the component (40) before the end of its manufacturing. In this way, net shape surfaces may be obtained without manufacturing trials.