General Electric Company

Eric J Boerger

Russell W Smashey

Thomas Joseph Kelly

John H Snyder

Ronald L Sheranko

Bruce Leonard Borne

An article is welded, as in weld repair of a defect, by positioning a weld lift-off block at a location on the surface of the article adjacent to the intended location of the end of the weldment on the surface of the article. The weld lift-off block has a wedge shape including a base contacting the surface of the article, and an upper face angled upwardly from the base from a base leading edge. A weld pool is formed on the surface of the article by directly heating the surface of the article using a heat source. The heat source is moved relative to the surface of the article and onto the upper surface of the weld lift-off block by crossing the leading edge of the wedge, without discontinuing the direct heating of the article by the heat source. The heating of the article with the heat source is discontinued only after the heat source is directly heating the upper face of the weld lift-off block, and not the article.

Method for welding an article and terminating the weldment within the

A surface defect in a gamma titanium aluminide article is repaired by weld repairing the defect and thereafter sealing the surface-connected cracks in the weldment. The surface-connected cracks are repaired by applying to the region of the weldment a powder of a brazing filler metal that is compatible with the gamma titanium aluminide alloy and with the weldment, and thereafter heating the article to a brazing temperature above the liquidus of the brazing filler metal. The article is preferably hot isostatically pressed after the repair is completed to close internal defects that cannot otherwise be closed due to the surface connected cracks.

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Fort Mitchell, KY, United States of America

Eric J Boerger