Method for making gas turbine engine blade attachment slots
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsHenry Yazdzik, Jr., Gordon M. Reed, Vernon E. Estes, Herbert L. Walker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Blade attachment slots for gas turbine engines are prepared by grinding to a stepped, generally straight sided configuration, semi-finish grinding to an envelope about 0.005 inches to 0.010 inches above the blueprint configuration, and finishing by broaching. This reduces the overall cost of the manufacturing process, permits a more economical use of existing broach machines, and allows greater versatility for short model runs and "just-in-time" production.
Claims10
A method for producing a gas turbine engine blade attachment slot in a disk comprising:
- a. grinding a rough slot in the disk, the rough slot having stepped, generally straight sides by:
- plunging a straight sided grinding wheel into an outside edge of the disk to a desired depth;
- operating the grinding wheel to create the rough slot by traversing the wheel across the disk to complete a roughing operation;
- and
- b. grinding a semi-finished slot into the rough slot, the semi-finished slot having a profile generally similar to that of a finished slot by:
- plunging a semi-finish grinding wheel having a configured grinding surface into the rough slot;
- operating the grinding wheel to configure the rough slot by traversing the wheel from one side of the disk and back to another side of the disk;
- and
- repeating the plunging and traversing until the semi-finished slot is completed;
- and
- c. broaching the semi-finished slot to produce the finished slot.
A method of producing a gas turbine engine blade attachment slot in a disk comprising:
- a. grinding a rough slot having stepped, generally straight sides approximately along a center line of the disk by:
- positioning a straight sided grinding wheel on an outside edge of the disk;
- plunging the grinding wheel straight into the disk to a desired depth;
- traversing the grinding wheel across the disk to create the rough slot;
- and
- repeating the plunging and traversing until a desired stepped, straightened sided rough slot is completed;
- b. grinding a semi-finished slot into the rough slot, the semi-finished slot having a profile generally similar to that of a finished slot by:
- positioning a semi-finish grinding wheel having a configured peripheral surface on a rim thereof above the rough slot,
- plunging the semi-finish grinding wheel into the rough slot to a step along a center line of the disk, and
- traversing the semi-finish grinding wheel from side to side of the rough slot, and
- repeating the plunging and traversing at each step of the rough slot until the semi-finished slot is completed;
- and
- c. broaching the semi-finished slot to produce the finished slot.
A method for producing a gas turbine engine blade attachment slot in a disk comprising:
- a. grinding a rough slot in the disk, the rough slot having generally straight sides;
- b. grinding a slightly undersized semi-finished slot into the rough slot, the semi-finished slot having a profile generally similar to that of a finished slot;
- and
- c. broaching the semi-finished slot to produce the finished slot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.