Trw Limited

Jerry L Hasch

William S Blazek

To form a turbine engine component, metal airfoils are positioned in an annular array. Outer end portions of the airfoils are embedded in a wax outer shroud ring pattern and inner end portions of the airfoils are embedded in a wax inner shroud ring pattern. A mold is formed by covering the metal airfoils and the shroud ring patterns with ceramic mold material. The wax of the shroud ring patterns is then removed from the mold to leave inner and outer shroud ring mold ring cavities. The shroud ring mold cavities are filled with molten metal which is solidified to form inner and outer shroud rings interconnecting the airfoils. To accommodate thermal expansion of the airfoils relative to the shroud rings, a slip joint is provided between at least one end portion of each of the airfoils and a shroud ring. To enable the slip joint to be formed, molten metal solidifies in the shroud ring to be formed, molten metal solidifies in the shroud ring cavities free of metallurgical bonds to the airfoils. The shroud rings may be formed of metal having different compositions and crystallographic structures than the metal of the airfoils.

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Minerva, OH, United States of America

Jerry L Hasch