Loading patent…
AssigneeMTU Motoren- und Turbinen-Union Muenchen GmbH
InventorsWolfgang Eichmann, Martin Thoma, Horst Pillhoefer, Johannes Hartung, Karl-Heinz Helling
Estimating the term…
Structural components (2), such as turbine blades (16) partially to be coated, for example with precious metal coatings, are inserted into a circumferential pocket on a carrier wheel (8), so that surface areas (10, 10A) protruding radially outwardly are presented for a coating operation, for example by vapor deposition, gas diffusion, plasma spraying, or sputtering, while surface portions (9) of the components within the wheel are protected against coating by wheel disks (8A, 8B). The wheel is rotated either continuously or stepwise through an active coating chamber (3). Surfaces to be coated participate in forming first and second walls for enclosing a coating space (11). Other walls of the space (11) are formed by one or two coating sources (12, 13), such as cathode sputterers, whereby the need for screens or masks (4, 14) that form the remaining walls of the space (11) are minimized. The bottom (59) of the space (11) is preferably formed by wall portions (4A) of the turbine blades (16).
An apparatus for the partial coating of structural components having first surface areas to be coated and second surface areas not to be coated, comprising a carrier wheel for holding said components, said carrier wheel having a rotational axis about which said carrier wheel is rotatable, first and second wheel disks forming at least one radially open wheel pocket for insertion of said structural components into said pockets so that said first surface areas extend radially outwardly from said pockets for coating in a coating chamber when said carrier wheel carries said components through said coating chamber, and so that said second surfaces are protected in said at least one pocket against coating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.