General Electric Company

Yuefeng Luo

William Edward Adis

Michael Lewis Jones

Yuanfeng Luo

Hrishikesh Vishvas Deo

Shamgar Elijah McDowell

Allan Richard Bridges

Christopher Mark Andrew Philp

Christopher Alan Panczyk

Jason Crumb

Steven Robert Hayashi

Dale Robert Lombardo

Laurence Scott Duclos

David Norwood Dorsey

Nouman Usmani

Jacob Gregory Thiel

Caleb Dewayne Myers

Allison Michelle Hanna

Christopher Richardson

Shamgar Elijah Mcdowell

Methods of Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) ceramic components are provided. In one aspect, a method includes electrical discharge machining a ceramic component, such as a Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) component. The ceramic component is electrical discharge machined while a contact matrix is positioned so that electrically conductive compliant and pressurized contacts of the contact matrix engage the ceramic component and so that an electrically conductive member of the contact matrix is in electrical conduction to a grounding structure.

Contact matrix for grounding a ceramic component during electrical discharge machining

A multi-loop controller component for an electric discharge machining (EDM) system includes a plurality of power loop circuits coupled to an output of a power supply of the EDM system and configured to receive DC electric power from the power supply. Each power loop circuits electrically-isolated from other power loop circuits. The multi-loop controller component also includes a plurality of transistors. Each transistor is coupled to a respective power loop circuit and is configured to switch between an ON state and an OFF state to generate a pulse of the DC electric power through the respective power loop circuit. In addition, the multi-loop controller component has a drive controller coupled to the plurality of transistors. The drive controller is configured to transmit at least one control signal to at least one of the transistors to facilitate switching the transistor between the ON state and the OFF state.

System and methods for electric discharge machining

Electrodes for and methods of electrical discharge machining are provided. For example, a method for forming a feature in a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component comprises repeatedly advancing an electrode into and retracting the electrode from the CMC component until a desired depth is reached, where the electrode has a head end, a tip end, and a shaft extending from the head end to the tip end. The shaft has a first side and a second side each recessed inward such that the head end and the tip end are wider than the shaft. A method for forming a feature in a CMC component also may include feeding a dielectric fluid into the feature utilizing the recessed sides. In some embodiments, electrodes may include a shaft extending from a head end to a tip end and a central plane, where the shaft is recessed widthwise toward the central plane.

Electrodes for and methods of electrical discharge machining

Tool electrodes for and methods of electrical discharge machining are provided. In one exemplary aspect, a tool electrode for machining features into a workpiece is provided that allows for increased machining speed without sacrificing the quality of the machined features. Moreover, a tool electrode is provided that eliminates or reduces the high cost associated with customized tool electrodes. In particular, a tool electrode is provided that includes a plurality of electrode elements arranged and spaced apart in a digitized matrix representative of a tooling shape for machining features into a workpiece. The plurality of electrode elements are spaced apart from one another and arranged in the digitized matrix by digitizing an analog electrode tool configured to machine the feature into the workpiece or a volume of the feature to be machined into the workpiece.

Tool electrode for and methods of electrical discharge machining

The present disclosure generally relates to a sealed metal laminate structure comprising: a metal layer having a first surface and an opposite second surface; a first enamel layer laminated on the first surface of the metal layer, except at an exposed metal protrusion at a perimeter edge of the sealed metal laminate structure; a second enamel layer laminated on the second surface of the metal layer, except at the exposed metal protrusion at the perimeter edge of the sealed laminate structure; and a phosphate sealer deposited on the exposed metal protrusion of the sealed metal laminate structure. The present disclosure also relates to a metal laminate structure without a phosphate sealer. In addition, systems and methods for treating workpieces, including metal laminate structures, are discussed.

Metal laminate structures with systems and methods for treating

Described herein a bucket for use in the last stage of a steam turbine engine. The bucket includes a titanium-based alloy having a leading edge wherein the leading edge includes titania having a plurality of pores and a top sealing layer filling the plurality of pores, the sealing layer selected from the group consisting of: chromium, cobalt, nickel, polyimide, polytetrafluoroethylene and polyester.

Protective coating for titanium last stage buckets

An electrical discharge machining (EDM) system, control system and related methods. Various embodiments include a control system for controlling a plurality of electrode devices in an EDM system to form holes in a workpiece. The control system can be configured to perform a process including: initiating a hole formation program for each of the plurality of electrode devices; determining whether at least one electrode has completed formation of a corresponding hole in the workpiece; and separating at least one electrode from the workpiece in response to determining that at least one electrode has completed formation of the corresponding hole.

Electrical discharge machining system having independent electrodes, related control system and method

Various embodiments include a sealed laminated metal structure. This laminated metal structure has a metal layer, where the metal layer has a first surface and an opposite second surface. A material is laminated on each of the first and second surfaces of the metal layer. In some cases, the laminated metal structure is removed from a larger laminated sheet of metal. The laminated metal structure is subjected to alternating current electrolytic deburring and cleaning to remove any burrs along the perimeter edge. After deburring and cleaning, a sealer, which is a phosphate compound, is deposited on the perimeter edge of the laminated metal structure where the metal is exposed using alternating current.

Sealed laminated structure

An electrical discharge machining (EDM) system according to embodiments includes: a guide structure; a plurality of electrode devices positioned at least partially within the guide structure, the plurality of electrode devices aligned to provide a plurality of electrical discharges to a workpiece, each of the plurality of electrode devices including: an electrode for positioning proximate the workpiece; an electrode holder coupled to the electrode for holding the electrode proximate the workpiece; and a driver coupled to the electrode holder, the driver adapted to modify a position of the electrode holder and the electrode; and a control system operably connected with the driver, the control system configured to provide instructions to the driver of at least one of the plurality of electrode devices to modify a position of the at least one of the plurality of electrodes independently of at least one other one of the plurality of electrodes.

Electrical discharge machining system having independent electrodes

Provided are a component and an additive manufacturing method for fabricating a component. The additive manufacturing method for fabricating a component includes providing a first wire segment and a second wire segment, the first and second wire segments each having a cross-sectional stackable geometry; positioning the first wire segment into an alignment with the second wire segment to form a workpiece stack, the alignment aligning adjacent surfaces in a line of sight direction; and directing an energy beam toward the first wire segment and the second wire segment along the alignment to weld the first wire segment to the second wire segment to form a welded stack. The component includes a workpiece stack comprising a plurality of wire segments welded together along aligned adjacent surfaces.

Additive manufacturing method for fabricating a component

Provided are a manufacturing system and a method for fabricating a component. The manufacturing system includes a wire delivery assembly arranged and disposed to deliver a wire feed to a fabrication assembly arrangement; the fabrication assembly arrangement includes a wire manipulation assembly, the wire manipulation assembly being arranged and disposed to convert the wire feed into a wire segment and position the wire segment on a workpiece positioner to form a workpiece stack; an energy beam source assembly arranged and disposed to direct one or more energy beams toward one or more aligned surfaces of adjacent wire segments within the workpiece stack, to weld the wire segments together. The method includes delivering a wire feed to a fabrication assembly; cutting and positioning a wire segment; and directing an energy beam toward one or more aligned surfaces of adjacent wire segments to weld the wire segments together.

Manufacturing system and method for fabricating a component

Disclosed are methods, apparatuses, and systems with regard to laminations. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a lamination having a variable thickness and a spacer connected with the lamination at a location, wherein the location of the spacer is based on a determined thickness of the lamination.

Apparatus and system for attaching integral spacers to laminations

Systems and methods for controlled and precise EDM manufacturing of a component are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes: a tank for holding a fluid; a first electrode array in the tank, the first electrode array including a plurality of electrodes configured to shape a workpiece; a workpiece fixture for positioning the workpiece at least partially immersed in the fluid and proximate the first electrode array; a pulse generator for creating an electric discharge between the workpiece and the first electrode array to remove material from the workpiece; a gap sensing circuit communicatively connected to the workpiece and the first electrode array, the gap sensing circuit configured to monitor the electric discharge between the workpiece and the first electrode array; and a computing device communicatively connected to the gap sensing circuit and the workpiece fixture, the computing device manipulating a position of the workpiece in the tank relative the first electrode array based upon data obtained from the gap sensing circuit.

Growing community of inventors

Mechanicville, NY, United States of America

Yuefeng Luo