Airfoil having tapered butress

A turbine engine comprising:

• optionally, a fan;
• a compressor section;
• a combustor in fluid communication with the compressor section;
• and
• a turbine section in fluid communication with the combustor, the turbine section being coupled to drive the compressor section and the fan, and
• at least one of the fan, the compressor section and the turbine section including an airfoil having an airfoil body defining a longitudinal axis, the airfoil body including a leading edge and a trailing edge and a first side wall and a second side wall that is spaced apart from the first side wall, the first side wall and the second side wall joining the leading edge and the trailing edge and at least partially defining a cavity in the airfoil body, and at least one of the first side wall and the second side wall including a longitudinally elongated buttress that tapers longitudinally, the longitudinally elongated buttress defining an increased thickness of, respectively, the first side wall or the second side wall, the longitudinally elongated buttress projecting partially across the cavity toward the other of the first side wall or the second side wall.

A method for processing a blade, the method comprising:

• depositing multiple layers of a powdered metal onto one another;
• joining the layers to one another with reference to data relating to a particular cross-section of a blade;
• and
• producing the blade with an airfoil body defining a longitudinal axis, the airfoil body including a leading edge and a trailing edge and a first side wall and a second side wall that is spaced apart from the first side wall, the first side wall and the second side wall joining the leading edge and the trailing edge and at least partially defining a cavity in the airfoil body, and at least one of the first side wall and the second side wall including a longitudinally elongated buttress that tapers longitudinally, the longitudinally elongated buttress defining an increased thickness of, respectively, the first side wall or the second side wall, the longitudinally elongated buttress projecting partially across the cavity toward the other of the first side wall or the second side wall.