Method of manufacturing an article
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorRichard G Milburn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas turbine engine (10) fan outlet guide vane (34) is manufactured by diffusion bonding titanium alloy sheet metal workpieces (52, 54) together to form an in integral structure (66). A titanium alloy is weld deposited at predetermined positions (70, 72) and in a predetermined shape to build up bosses (42, 44) at the radially outer end (40) of the hollow integral structure (68). The integral structure (66) is inflated at high temperature to form a hollow integral structure (68) of predetermined aerofoil shape. Apertures (46, 48) are drilled through the bosses (42, 44) to enable the radially outer end (40) of the fan outlet guide vane (34) to be attached to a fan casing (32) of the gas turbine engine (10).
Claims18
A method of manufacturing a sheet metal article comprising selecting at least two sheet metal workpieces, assembling the at least two sheet metal workpieces in a stack of sheet metal workpieces, sealing the edges of the stack of sheet metal workpieces, diffusing bonding the stack of sheet metal workpieces in areas other than a predetermined pattern to form an integral structure, weld-depositing metal at at least one predetermined position and in a predetermined shape to build up a feature to net shape at the at least one predetermined position on the integral structure, and then heating the integral structure and internally pressuring the interior of the integral structure to hot form at least one of the at least two metal workpieces to form a hollow integral structure of predetermined shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.