Fixture for clamping a gas turbine component blank and its use in shaping the gas turbine component blank

A fixture used in conjunction with a gas turbine component blank, the gas turbine component blank comprising

• an airfoil having a direction of elongation,
• a platform extending transversely to the airfoil and having a top side adjacent to the airfoil and a bottom side oppositely disposed from the top side,
• a root precursor at the first end of the airfoil and extending away from the airfoil, wherein the root precursor has a pair of oppositely disposed ends, and a pair of sides, and
• a rotating shroud at a second end of the airfoil and extending transversely to the airfoil,
• the fixture comprising:
• a base lying in a base plane and having a datum locator, the datum locator including
• an x-axis datum locator upon which the gas turbine component blank is supported so that the direction of elongation of the airfoil is generally parallel to the base plane, the x-axis datum locator preventing movement of the gas turbine component blank perpendicular to the base plane,
• a y-axis datum locator comprising a first y-axis stop and a second y-axis stop, wherein the first y-axis stop is contacted by a first one of the ends of the root precursor and the second y-axis stop is contacted by the rotating shroud, and
• a z-axis datum locator that is contacted by the gas turbine component blank and which prevents movement of the gas turbine component blank parallel to the direction of elongation of the airfoil;
• and
• a clamp movable between
• an unclamped position in which the gas turbine component blank may be inserted onto the x-axis datum locator of the base, and
• a clamped position wherein the clamp simultaneously forces the first end of the root precursor against the first y-axis stop, the rotating shroud against the second y-axis stop, and the gas turbine component blank against the z-axis datum locator.

A fixture used in conjunction with a gas turbine component blank having an airfoil, a root precursor at a first end of the airfoil, and a rotating shroud at a second end of the airfoil, the fixture comprising:

• a base lying in a base plane and having a datum locator, the datum locator including
• an x-axis datum locator upon which the gas turbine component blank is supported to prevent movement of the gas turbine component blank perpendicular to the base plane,
• a y-axis datum locator comprising a first y-axis stop and a second y-axis stop, the y-axis datum locator preventing movement of the gas turbine component blank in a first direction lying in the base plane, and
• a z-axis datum locator that prevents movement of the gas turbine component blank in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and lying in the base plane;
• and
• a clamp movable between
• an unclamped position in which the gas turbine component blank may be inserted onto the x-axis datum locator of the base, and
• a clamped position wherein the clamp simultaneously forces the root precursor against the first y-axis stop, the rotating shroud against the second y-axis stop, and the gas turbine component blank against the z-axis datum locator.

A method for shaping a gas turbine component blank, the gas turbine component blank comprising

• an airfoil having a direction of elongation,
• a platform extending transversely to the airfoil and having a top side adjacent to the airfoil and a bottom side oppositely disposed from the top side,
• a root precursor at the first end of the airfoil and extending away from the airfoil, wherein the root precursor has a pair of oppositely disposed ends, and a pair of sides, and
• a rotating shroud at a second end of the airfoil and extending transversely to the airfoil,
• the method including the steps of
• providing a fixture comprising
• a base lying in a base plane and having a datum locator, the datum locator including
• an x-axis datum locator upon which the gas turbine component blank is supported so that the direction of elongation of the airfoil is generally parallel to the base plane, the x-axis datum locator preventing movement of the gas turbine component blank perpendicular to the base plane,
• a y-axis datum locator comprising a first y-axis stop and a second y-axis stop, wherein the first y-axis stop is contacted by a first one of the ends of the root precursor and the second y-axis stop is contacted by the rotating shroud,
• a z-axis datum locator that is contacted by the gas turbine component blank and which prevents movement of the gas turbine component blank parallel to the direction of elongation of the airfoil;
• a clamp movable between
• an unclamped position in which the gas turbine component blank may be inserted onto the x-axis datum locator of the base, and
• a clamped position wherein the clamp simultaneously forces the first end of the root precursor against the first y-axis stop, the rotating shroud against the second y-axis stop, and the gas turbine component blank against the z-axis datum locator;
• thereafter
• placing the gas turbine component blank into the fixture with the clamp in the unclamped position;
• thereafter
• operating the clamp to move the clamp to the clamped position;
• and thereafter
• shaping the gas turbine component blank.