Apparatus for creating a film cooled article for a gas turbine engine

A finishing apparatus for creating a film cooled article for a gas turbine engine comprising:

• a central control machine including a computerized controller;
• at least one articulating device controlled by said central control machine;
• a machining tool mounted to said articulating device, such that said at least one articulating device is operable to move said machining tool;
• at least one of a touch sensor apparatus and a visual sensor apparatus mounted to said machining tool and communicatively coupled to the computerized controller;
• and
• wherein said computerized controller stores instructions operable to cause said finishing apparatus to perform the steps of:
• positioning a machining element of said machining tool in contact with an exterior surface of a film cooled article;
• automatically moving said machining element along said exterior surface while maintaining contact between the machining element and the exterior surface;
• identifying an actual position of at least one film opening based on sensory feedback from the machining element using an electronic controller while maintaining contact between the machining element and the exterior surface;
• removing material from said exterior surface at said at least one film opening using said machining element, thereby creating a depression at said at least one film opening;
• and
• repeating identifying the actual position of the at least one film opening based on sensory feedback from the machining element, and removing material from said exterior surface at said at least one film opening using said machining element, thereby creating a depression at each film opening for at least a subset of a plurality film openings of said film cooled article.