Method for assembling a radial turbine rotor by solid-state welding

A method of assembling a radial turbine rotor, the method comprising:

• manufacturing a plurality of turbine blades, each of the plurality of turbine blades shaped to include a root portion and an airfoil portion radially outward of the root portion;
• manufacturing a flowpath ring that extends around a central axis and is configured to be coupled with each of the plurality of turbine blades, the flowpath ring formed to include a plurality of apertures extending radially through the flowpath ring;
• manufacturing a hub that extends around the central axis;
• inserting each of the plurality of turbine blades into a corresponding one of the plurality of apertures of the flowpath ring by moving the airfoil portion of each of the plurality of turbine blades radially outwardly through the corresponding one of the plurality of apertures, the root portion of each of the plurality of turbine blades being located within the corresponding one of the plurality of apertures;
• fixing each of the inserted plurality of turbine blades circumferentially around the flowpath ring by a blade joint between the root portion of each of the plurality of turbine blades and surfaces of the corresponding one of the plurality of apertures of the flowpath ring to form a ring assembly;
• spinning the hub about the central axis;
• and
• axially moving the hub into engagement with the flowpath ring assembly to locate the hub radially inwardly of the flowpath ring assembly and to form a hub joint between the flowpath ring assembly and the hub.