General Electric Company

Christopher L English

Stephen Aleshin

Michael Jay Brunck

Bruce Leonard Borne

Leslie McLean Hellemann

Ronald Clarence Glover

Damage in a blisk airfoil is machined away to create a notch. A repair is welded in the airfoil to fill the notch. The weld repair is then machined to restore the airfoil to a substantially original, pre-damaged configuration at the repair.

Blisk weld repair

Apparatus for performing laser weld repair of complex titanium-base material parts for gas turbine engines. The complex arts, typically compressor blisk airfoil assemblies are enclosed in a local dry box and purged in an inert gas atmosphere. Laser weld repairs are accomplished within this dry box by using a coaxial nozzle and a mixture of helium and argon. The welding is accomplished by maintaining a proper standoff between the weld nozzle and the weld. The welding is monitored and controlled from a remote location using in a video camera system. Copper shielding is provided within the dry box to protect areas adjacent to the weld area from overheating and weld spatter.

Apparatus for laser twist weld of compressor blisks airfoils

A method for repair welding a titanium compressor blisk using laser twist welding. A blisk assembly has damaged portions removed. The surface to be repaired is provided with a predetermined geometry. The portions to be repaired are surrounded by a fixture which contains a laser nozzle. The fixture can provide a protective atmosphere to the area under repair while also shielding adjacent areas from damage resulting form welding. The welding is accomplished using preprogrammed patterns. The welding within the fixture is monitored remotely and is adjusted when stand-off between the weld nozzle and the molten metal are not within a predetermined range.

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Mason, OH, United States of America

Christopher L English