Methods for joining components at narrow, uniform braze joints
AssigneeGE Infrastructure Technology LLC
InventorsMark L. Hunt, Benjamin Erick Baker, Randy J. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of joining a first component and a second component includes providing the first component including a first surface; providing the second component including a second surface; creating a braze joint between the first and second surfaces using a sinker electrical discharge machining (EDM) device, where the first component is used as an electrode of the sinker EDM device and a voltage is generated between the first and second components such that the braze joint is created by spark erosion of at least one of the first component and the second component; and coupling the first and second components securely together along the braze joint.
Claims20
A method of joining a first component and a second component, said method comprising:
- providing the first component including a first surface;
- providing the second component including a second surface;
- creating a braze joint between the first and second surfaces using a sinker electrical discharge machining (EDM) device, wherein the first component is used as an electrode of the sinker EDM device and a voltage is generated between the first and second components such that the braze joint is created by spark erosion of at least one of the first component and the second component;
- and
- coupling the first and second components securely together along the braze joint.
A method of repairing a component for use in a turbine engine, the turbine engine component including a first surface, said method comprising:
- providing a filler component including a second surface;
- creating a braze joint between the first surface and the second surface using a sinker electrical discharge machining (EDM) device, wherein one of the turbine engine component and the filler component is used as an electrode of the sinker EDM device and a voltage is generated between the turbine engine component and the filler component to create the braze joint by spark erosion of at least one of the turbine engine component and the filler component;
- and
- coupling the turbine engine component and the filler component securely together along the braze joint.
A method of joining a first component and a second component, said method comprising:
- machining at least one of the first and second components to create a first joint between a first surface of the first component and a second surface of the second component;
- after the machining, creating a second joint between the first and second surfaces, wherein the second joint has a smaller gap tolerance than the first joint, and wherein the second joint is created by spark eroding complementing surface profiles in the first and second surfaces using one of the first and second components as an electrical discharge machining (EDM) electrode;
- and
- coupling the first and second components securely together along the second joint.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.