Rolls-royce Corporation

Stephen John Tuppen

Daniel Clark

Wayne Eric Voice

Alan S Wood

Ian Edward Mitchell

Christopher Wynn

Martin R Bache

Richard C Dewes

Hong G Lee

David K Aspinwall

Richard Charles Dewes

David Keith Aspinwall

Martin Ronald Bache

Hong Guan Lee

Alan Stanley Wood

There is proposed a method of surface-treating a cast intermetallic component, which is intended primarily to reduce or remove surface porosity from the component. The method includes the steps of: providing a cast intermetallic component; placing the component in an inert atmosphere; focussing a laser beam on a surface of the component; traversing the laser beam over at least a region of said surface while the component is in said inert atmosphere; and controlling the laser beam during said traversing step so as to locally melt the intermetallic material of the component to a depth of no more than 300 &#x3bc;m, as measured from said surface of the component.

Method of surface-treating a cast intermetallic component

A method of balancing a physical rotor includes: determining a first balance state of the physical rotor at one or more rotational frequencies; identifying one or more balance zones on a surface of the rotor; providing a computerised simulation of the rotor having the first balance state; providing a first test mass in a first test location within one of the balance zones on the rotor simulation; determining a second balance state of the rotor simulation; providing at least one subsequent test mass in at least one subsequent test location within a balance zone on the rotor simulation and determining at least one subsequent balance state of the rotor simulation; selecting a mass and location from one of the first and subsequent test masses and test locations; and performing a material deposition process to add the selected mass of material to the selected location on the physical rotor.

Rotor balancing method

The present method creates a relatively thin in situ brazing alloy layer upon first and second component edges which are brought together in order to create a component joint. This in situ brazing alloy layer is created by deposition of brazing elements, such as copper or nickel, from an electrical discharge cutting process electrode depletion utilized in order to cut the component edges, and then a subsequent brazing technique creates through interstitial migration between that brazing alloy layer and the underlying material substrate of the components a robust component joint wherein the in situ brazing alloy layer penetrates the respective component cut edge surface to only a limited depth such that the geometric effect is similarly limited, and the properties of the underlying component material structure are maintained.

Brazed joining with electrical deposition

First and second components, which may be metallic components, are joined together in a process including introducing a sinterable powder between the components, the powder being retained within a receptacle, displacing the second component towards the first component to compress the powder, and subsequently applying heat and pressure to the powder to form a sintered bond.

Method of joining components

A surface treatment device includes an enclosure which has an opening through which the leading edge of an aerofoil passes. A sealing element is provided on the enclosure to seal the device to the surfaces of the aerofoil. An abrasive is located within the enclosure and two fluid openings are also provided through which a chemical accelerant can be pumped. In operation the enclosure is oscillated relative to the component so that material is abraded. Whilst the enclosure is oscillated a chemical accelerant is simultaneously pumped through it. The device allows for the local application of a surface treatment on a component.

Surface treatment device

A method and apparatus for heat treating an article by delivering a heating flow of fluid to a localized region of the article, and simultaneously delivering a cooling flow of fluid to a further region of the article.

Gas heater

A method of locally repairing an aluminide coating () on a gas turbine engine nozzle guide vane () or a turbine blade (B) comprises removing a damaged portion of the aluminide coating () from a portion () of the surface of the article. Any oxidised layer () is removed from the portion () of the surface of the article. Stoichiometric amounts of nickel and aluminium are placed on the portion () of the surface of the article using at least one foil (). The stoichiometric amounts of nickel and aluminium are heat treated to form an aluminide patch coating (B) on the portion () of the surface of the article and to bond the aluminide patch coating (B) to the portion () of the surface of the article and to the aluminide coating () surrounding the aluminide patch coating (B). The advantage is that the aluminide coating () surrounding the aluminide patch coating (B) is not over aluminised.

Method of repairing an aluminide coating on an article

A method of locally repairing a coating () on a gas turbine engine nozzle guide vane () or a turbine blade (B) comprises removing a damaged portion of the coating () from a portion () of the article. Any oxidized layer () is removed from the portion () of the surface of the article. Material is placed on the portion () of the article (B) to form a patch coating (B). The material is heated to form a patch coating (B) on the portion () of the article (B) and to bond the patch coating (B) to the portion () of the article (B) and to the coating surrounding the patch coating (B). A high energy beam is impinged on the coating () and the high energy beam is moved from the periphery () of the patch coating (B) to the periphery () of the coating () in a pattern (P) to uniformly heat the periphery () of the patch coating (B) and the periphery () of the coating (). The advantage is that a halo effect around the patch coating (B) is obviated.

Method of repairing a coating on an article

A component is repaired by removing a damaged region to form a cavity, in which layered repair inserts are installed. The profile of the cavity, and of the exposed surface of each repair insert is measured to serve as the basis for the contact surface of each subsequent repair insert. The repair inserts are fused to the wall of the cavity and to each other in a process in which heated locations of each repair insert are successively heated to minimize heat transfer within the repair inserts and in the underlying substrate material. The repair inserts may be made in a powder bed process from an alloy powder having the same composition as the material of the substrate.

Method of restoring a metallic component

A surface treatment device for applying a surface treatment medium to an article is provided with the surface treatment device having an application member for applying the surface treatment medium to the article and an electrode, which applies an electrical potential between the application member and the article. The device provides localized treatment to the article and can remove oxide layers or the like from metallic materials without removing or damaging the underlying metallic material.

Method and apparatus for treating a component of a gas turbine engine

A method of manufacturing a blisk comprising a disc joined to an aerofoil, wherein a union piece of partially sintered powder and having an alignment feature is provided. The union piece is connected between the disc and the aerofoil, which is aligned relative to the disc by the alignment feature of the union piece. Heat and pressure is subsequently applied to consolidate the first workpiece, union piece and second workpiece.

Method of manufacturing a component by consolidating powder material

A method for joining first and second components, using brazing material to enable the formation of a brazed joint by heating the brazing material when the first and second components are in a juxtaposed position, comprises bringing the first and second components into a juxtaposed position so that the brazing material is in contact with the first and second components and plastically deforming the brazing material to interlock the first and second components.

Component joining

A surface treatment device () is provided for applying a surface treatment medium to an article (). The device comprises an application member () for holding and applying the surface treatment medium to the article. The device has a securing arrangement () for securing the application member to the article.

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Swadlincote, United Kingdom

Stephen John Tuppen