Automated Winding of Coated Filaments for Metal Matrix Composite Inserts
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing process for manufacturing components with composite inserts made of ceramic fibers in a metal matrix is inefficient and costly due to the brittleness of ceramic fibers, lengthy binder-removal and degassing operations, manual positioning of filaments, and lack of means to resume winding if filaments break, making it unsuitable for industrial-scale production.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the winding of a bundle or bonded sheet of coated filaments onto a body of revolution, followed by laser welding and contact welding to form a consolidated sheet, which is then wound onto a container or mandrel without the need for preforms, eliminating the need for binder-removal steps and allowing for automated industrial-scale production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual positioning of coated filaments is used, then precision of fiber orientation is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical positioning with an automated winding system that uses a mandrel and controlled filament feeding mechanisms. The system mechanically winds coated filaments around a mandrel in a spiral pattern, automatically achieving precise fiber orientation without manual intervention. This substitution of manual operations with automated mechanical systems resolves the contradiction between precision and productivity.
2Ease of manufacture
If binder is used to ensure preform cohesion, then ease of manufacture is improved, but purity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a coating layer to the coated filaments that serves as a temporary binder during preform formation, then systematically removes this coating through cleaning operations before final assembly. This extraction of the potentially contaminating substance (coating binder) after it has served its structural purpose during manufacturing resolves the contradiction between ease of manufacture and purity.
3Loss of substance
If degassing operation is performed to remove binder, then purity is improved, but duration of action deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs cleaning and removal of coating binders from coated filaments before the preform formation and degassing stages. By conducting this purification operation preliminarily, the amount of binder requiring removal during subsequent degassing is minimized, thereby reducing the duration of the degassing operation while achieving the required purity level.
4Device complexity
If no means to resume winding is provided, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a break-detection system and automatic pause/resume capability in the winding mechanism. When a filament break is detected, the system automatically pauses, alerts the operator, and can resume winding after replacement without requiring complete disassembly or complex recalibration. This beforehand preparation for potential failures maintains reliability while avoiding excessive device complexity.
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 process significantly reduces production time and cost by eliminating manual handling and binder-removal steps, ensuring better quality and integrity of the composite insert, and enabling precise control over the orientation of ceramic fibers for improved performance.
Implementation Method 1
followed by laser welding and contact welding to form a consolidated sheet
Implementation Method 2
The winding is performed in a spiral
Implementation Method 3
a thin film of carbon is provided at the interface between the fiber and the metal, in order to provide a diffusion-barrier/buffer function during differential thermal relaxation that occurs as the liquid metal deposited on the fiber cools
Implementation Method 4
There follows a step in which the assembly undergoes hot isostatic pressing. During this operation, the insert composed of juxtaposed coated filaments is compacted
Implementation Method 5
The lid 5 is welded to the container 2, for example by electron beam welding
Data Source
AI summary
A process for manufacturing a component with an insert made of a composite is disclosed. The composite includes a metal matrix, within which ceramic fibers extend. The insert is made of a composite which is obtained from a plurality of coated filaments, each filament includes a ceramic fiber coated with a metal sheath. The process includes winding a bundle or bonded sheet of coated filaments around a body of revolution perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said body. The insert is then subjected to a hot isostatic pressing step in a container. The process is applied to the manufacture of aeronautical turbomachine components.