# US 10,864,585 B2 · Machining system for turbomachine dovetail

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- Number: US 10,864,585 B2
- Document ID: US10864585B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/457,094
- Filed: 2017-03-13
- Published: 2018-09-13
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-13
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Phillip Charles Johnson; Robert Charles Malison; John Matthew Sassatelli
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864585B2

## CPC

- B23D 75/00: Reaming machines or reaming devices (tool holders for machine tools B23Q3/00; handles for hand implements B25G)
- B23B 47/28: Drill jigs for workpieces (equipment for setting or guiding the drill B23B49/00)
- B23K 26/382: by boring
- F01D 5/005: {Repairing methods or devices}
- F01D 5/3046: {the rotor having ribs around the circumference}
- F01D 5/3053: {by means of pins}
- F01D 25/285: {Temporary support structures, e.g. for testing, assembling, installing, repairing; Assembly methods using such structures}
- B23B 2215/81: Turbine blades
- B23B 2247/12: Drilling jigs with means to affix the jig to the workpiece
- B23B 2270/34: Means for guiding
- B23H 1/00: Electrical discharge machining, i.e. removing metal with a series of rapidly recurring electrical discharges between an electrode and a workpiece in the presence of a fluid dielectric
- B23H 7/28: Moving electrode in a plane normal to the feed direction, e.g. orbiting
- B23H 9/10: Working turbine blades or nozzles
- B23H 9/14: Making holes
- B23K 2101/001: {Turbines}
- F05D 2220/31: in steam turbines
- F05D 2230/12: by spark erosion methods
- F05D 2230/13: using lasers
- B23D: PLANING; SLOTTING; SHEARING; BROACHING; SAWING; FILING; SCRAPING; LIKE OPERATIONS FOR WORKING METAL BY REMOVING MATERIAL, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (making toothed gears or the like B23F; cutting metal by applying heat locally B23K; arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q)
- B23B: TURNING; BORING (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q)
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- B23H: WORKING OF METAL BY THE ACTION OF A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF ELECTRIC CURRENT ON A WORKPIECE USING AN ELECTRODE WHICH TAKES THE PLACE OF A TOOL; SUCH WORKING COMBINED WITH OTHER FORMS OF WORKING OF METAL (processes for the electrolytic or electrophoretic production of coatings, electroforming, or apparatus therefor C25D; processes for the electrolytic removal of material from objects C25F; manufacturing printed circuits using precipitation techniques to apply the conductive material to form the desired conductive pattern H05K3/18)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

## Abstract

Various embodiments include a system for machining a hole in a turbine blade. The system can include: a mount for engaging a first side of a turbine rotor, the mount including: a drill plate for coupling with the first side of the turbine rotor, the drill plate having: a body; a feed opening on a first side of the body; a passage extending from the feed opening through the body; and a second opening on a second side of the body, the second opening coupled with the passage and positioned to align with the pre-formed hole in the turbine rotor; an alignment bushing for engaging the pre-formed hole in the rotor at a second side of the rotor; and a cutting device for extending through the body and alignment bushing, the cutting device for machining the hole in the blade, the cutting device aligned along a chamfer axis relative to a primary axis of the turbine rotor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
mounting a machining system on a turbine rotor, the turbine rotor including a pre-formed hole, the machining system having:
a mount for engaging a first side of the turbine rotor, the mount including:
a drill plate for coupling with the first side of the turbine rotor, the drill plate having: a body; a feed opening on a first side of the body; a passage extending from the feed opening through the body; and a second opening on a second side of the body, the second opening coupled with the passage and positioned to align with the pre-formed hole in the turbine rotor;
an alignment bushing for engaging an interior surface of the pre-formed hole in the turbine rotor at a second side of the turbine rotor, opposite the first side of the turbine rotor; and
a cutting device for extending through the body and the alignment bushing, the cutting device aligned along a chamfer axis relative to a primary axis of the turbine rotor; and
actuating the cutting device to machine a hole in at least one turbine blade of the turbine rotor, wherein actuating the cutting device includes machining the hole in the at least one turbine blade to align the at least one hole with the pre-formed hole in the turbine rotor, wherein the mount and the alignment bushing are configured to counter a reaction load from the cutting device during the machining of the hole in the at least one turbine blade.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the machining system further includes a feed bushing, the mounting further including inserting the feed bushing in the feed opening in the drill plate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the cutting device extends through the feed bushing during the actuating of the cutting device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the mounting includes aligning the cutting device along the primary axis of the feed opening and the second opening.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the alignment bushing is sized to line the pre-formed hole in the turbine rotor at the second side of the turbine rotor, the mounting including inserting the alignment bushing in the pre-formed hole and placing the cutting device inside the alignment bushing prior to actuating the cutting device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the cutting device includes at least one of a power reaming device, an electrical discharge machining (EDM) rod or a laser device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising an intervening alignment process, wherein the intervening alignment process includes placing at least one alignment pin proximate the turbine rotor to align the machining system.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the mount and the alignment bushing support a portion of a weight of the cutting device during the actuating of the cutting device.

### Claim 9

A method comprising:
mounting a machining system on a turbine rotor, the turbine rotor including a pre-formed hole, the machining system having:
a mount for engaging a first side of the turbine rotor, the mount including:
a drill plate for coupling with the first side of the turbine rotor, the drill plate having: a body; a feed opening on a first side of the body; a passage extending from the feed opening through the body; and a second opening on a second side of the body, the second opening coupled with the passage and positioned to align with the pre-formed hole in the turbine rotor;
an alignment bushing for engaging an interior surface of the pre-formed hole in the turbine rotor at a second side of the turbine rotor, opposite the first side of the turbine rotor; and
a cutting device for extending through the body and the alignment bushing, the cutting device aligned along a chamfer axis relative to a primary axis of the turbine rotor; and
actuating the cutting device to machine a hole in the at least one turbine blade of the turbine rotor, wherein the mounting of the machining system and the actuating of the cutting device are performed sequentially without an intervening alignment process.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the drill plate includes at least one degree of freedom, and the mount further includes a corresponding locking mechanism through which an orientation of the at least one alignment pin is transferred to at least one degree of freedom of the drill plate and maintained after removing of the alignment pin.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the alignment bushing is sized to line the pre-formed hole in the turbine rotor at the second side of the turbine rotor, the mounting including inserting the alignment bushing in the pre-formed hole and placing the cutting device inside the alignment bushing prior to actuating the cutting device.