Vane ring inspection tool and process
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorDavid DESAUTELS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and a tool for performing a dimensional inspection on a vane ring, comprises referencing an inspection tool relative to a vane of the vane ring to aim a measuring tool, such as a caliper, at predetermined spanwise and chordwise coordinates along the vane. Once the inspection has been properly positioned on the vane, the measuring tool is used to measure a dimensional parameter, such as a vane thickness, at a location corresponding to the predetermined spanwise and chordwise coordinates. Then, the operator determines if the measured dimensional parameter is within acceptable tolerance limits.
Claims20
A method of performing a dimensional inspection of a vane ring including an inner ring, an outer ring and a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart vanes between the inner ring and the outer ring, the method comprising:
- referencing an inspection tool relative to a vane of the vane ring to aim a measuring tool at predetermined spanwise and chordwise coordinates along the vane;
- using the measuring tool, measuring a dimensional parameter of the vane at a location corresponding to the predetermined spanwise and chordwise coordinates;
- and
- determining if the measured dimensional parameter is within acceptable tolerance limits.
An inspection tool for inspecting a vane ring of a gas turbine engine, the vane ring comprising an inner ring, an outer ring and a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart vanes between the inner ring and the outer ring;
- the inspection tool comprising:
- a base having a plurality of reference surfaces including a first reference surface engageable with at least one of the inner ring and the outer ring, and a second reference surface engageable with at least one of a leading edge and a trailing edge of a first vane of the plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart vanes;
- and
- a localization aid on the base for locating a measuring tool on the first vane at a location set by the engagement of the first and second reference surfaces with the first vane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.