Rolls-royce Corporation

Andrew Robert Walpole

Simon Edward Bray

Daniel Clark

John Harold Boswell

Gavin J Baxter

Gemma A Raven

John P E Forsdike

Alistair J E Smith

Michael James Berry

Robin Wilson

Peter Wilson

A method of joining a first component to a second component at respective connection surfaces, comprising, in order, applying a local surface treatment to the connection surface of at least one of the first and second components in order to locally alter the microstructure to a depth of between 60 &#x3bc;m and 10 mm below the connection surface; and joining the first component to the second component using a welding process.

Joining method

A method of friction welding a first workpiece to a second workpiece, includes the first workpiece with a first faying surface having a first faying length, the second workpiece with a second faying surface having a second faying length, the second faying length greater than the first faying length; positioning the first workpiece adjacent the second workpiece; reciprocating the first workpiece and the second workpiece against one another, the first faying moves relative to the second faying by a sweep length, a temperature at the first and second faying surfaces increases to create a weld interface; each of the first and second workpieces are consumed into the weld interface, adjusting the sweep length the sweep length remains equal to a difference between the second and the first faying lengths; and stopping the reciprocating and allowing the first and second workpieces to cool to weld the first and second workpieces together.

Method of friction welding workpieces by adjusting a sweep length

A method () for fabricating an integral assembly () is disclosed. The method comprises providing () a first workpiece () having a first surface () and a second workpiece () having a second surface (), performing a first bonding process between the first surface () of the first workpiece () and the second surface () of the second workpiece () to form a sub-assembly workpiece (), and performing a second bonding process between a third surface () of the sub-assembly workpiece () and a fourth surface () of a third workpiece () to form the integral assembly (). The material properties of the first workpiece () are different from material properties of the third workpiece ().

Bladed disc and method of manufacturing the same

A rotary friction welding process is provided, including: providing a first axisymmetric workpiece having a first annular weld surface, and a second axisymmetric workpiece having a second annular weld surface; and rotationally welding the workpeices. On the longitudinal section through the aligned workpieces, each of the first and second annular weld surfaces is flanked by radially inner and outer side surfaces, the first weld surface and its side surfaces being shaped to thermally match the second weld surface and its side surfaces across a line of initial contact of the first and second weld surfaces such the heat flows from the weld at all the side surfaces are substantially equal.

Rotary friction welding

The present disclosure provides a rotary friction welding process including: providing an outer axisymmetric workpiece having a front first annular weld surface at a radially inward extent and a rear first annular weld surface at a radially inward extent; providing a front inner axisymmetric workpiece, the front inner workpiece having a front second annular weld surface at a radially outward extent of the front inner workpiece; providing a rear inner axisymmetric workpiece, the rear inner workpiece having a rear second annular weld surface at a radially outward extent of the rear inner workpiece; and rotary welding the workpieces together.

A method of controlling a working gap between one or more cathodic tools and an anodic workpiece in an electrochemical material dissolution process, the method comprising: providing a cathodic tool and an anodic workpiece defining a working gap therebetween, the cathodic tool and the workpiece being at least partially immersed in a conductive electrolyte solution; providing a negative electrical potential to the cathodic tool; monitoring one or more of the electrical potential, current, current density and charge between the cathodic tool and the anode to determine the working gap between the cathodic tool and the anode; and, controlling one or more process parameters to maintain one or more of the working gap and electrochemical working conditions between the cathodic tool and anodic workpiece at a targeted value.

Electrochemical polishing of non-uniform features

A method linear friction welds a rotor blade to a disk. The method includes: providing a linear friction welding machine having disk tooling at which a disk is mounted, and further having blade tooling at which a blade is mountable; mounting a dummy blade at blade tooling, dummy blade carrying one or more first measurement devices which interact with mounted disk to measure position of dummy blade relative to disk; adjusting position and orientation of blade tooling relative to mounted disk until first measurement devices indicate that dummy blade is in a suitable alignment with disk to start linear friction welding a blade to disk; releasing dummy blade from blade tooling and mounting a production blade thereat; and linear friction welding the production blade to the disk with the blade tooling starting at adjusted position and orientation.

Linear friction welding method

A method for welding together pieces which form a curved or angled end product using a friction welding process. The method includes: providing first and second pieces which together define the end product geometry, each piece including an end product geometry portion and a sacrificial weld portion, the sacrificial weld portion forming a dog-leg relative to the end product geometry portion and terminating in a planar weld interface surface. The pieces are arranged with their planar weld interface surfaces together at a weld surface interface and the sacrificial weld portions in coaxial alignment. Mechanical friction is applied between the planar weld interface surfaces sufficient to plastically deform the sacrificial weld portions. An axial force is applied along the co-axis of the sacrificial weld portions sufficient to upset the sacrificial weld portions and bring together the end product geometry portions. The sacrificial geometry portions are removed to provide the end product.

A friction welding process includes: providing a first workpiece having a first weld surface, and a second workpiece having a second weld surface; aligning the workpieces with the weld surfaces facing each other, moving one workpiece relative to the other workpiece, and engaging the first and second weld surfaces such that the movement raises the temperature at the weld surfaces to create a weld interface; and ceasing the movement and allowing the weld interface to cool to weld the workpieces together at the interface. The first workpiece has a plurality of flash removal channels formed in and/or adjacent to the first weld surface. The channels provide pathways for ejection of material from the weld interface during welding.

Friction welding

A method of machining a nickel containing alloy gas turbine engine component () comprises applying a material removal gas comprising gaseous carbon monoxide at a nickel carbonyl gas forming temperature such as 50 to 60&#xb0; C. to a surface of the component to form a nickel carbonyl gas, and thereby remove a surface layer from at least part of the component.

Method of machining a gas turbine engine component

A method providing a first tubular workpiece having a first weld surface at an end thereof, and a second tubular workpiece having a second weld surface at an end thereof; aligning the workpieces on a common axis with the weld surfaces facing each other, rotating one workpiece about the axis relative to the other workpiece, and engaging the first and second weld surfaces such that the rotation raises the temperature at the weld surfaces to create a weld interface; and ceasing the rotation and allowing the weld interface to cool to weld the workpieces together at the interface. The first weld surface is an apex region of an annular projection at the end of the first workpiece, on a longitudinal section through the aligned workpieces the annular projection having a profile in which radially inner and outer side surfaces of the annular projection taper towards the apex region.

A welding tool for friction welding a workpiece, the tool including: a probe having a core including a ceramic material, the probe having a surface coating including a metallic material covering at least part of a contact zone of the probe.

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Derby, United Kingdom

Andrew Robert Walpole