Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Peter W Heitman

Stephen Norman Hammond

Lawrence E Brown

Elizabeth J Holmes

Braze filler alloy is specifically applied and metallurgically bonded to a desired region of a nickel based superalloy workpiece using an electrospark deposition technique. The braze filler alloy is deposited onto, and concurrently metallurgically alloyed into, the desired region of the base metal by transfer of the material from the electrode using a short duration electrical impulse. The time and energy involved are small enough that total heat input to the base metal is minimal so that distortion and metallurgical structure changes of the base metal are negligible.

Method for depositing braze alloy to base metal surfaces using electric

Single crystal, nickel based superalloy turbine blades are formed by fusion welding together two matched blade halves. The matched blade halves are joined by an electrospark deposition process which deposits a weld filler metal along the matched faying surfaces. The deposited weld filler metal is preferably the same nickel based superalloy used to form the single crystal turbine blades. Total heat input to the base metal is minimal so that distortion and metallurgical structure changes of the base metal are virtually nonexistent.

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Indianapolis, IN, United States of America

Peter W Heitman