Environmentally conscious redesign of turbine blade fixtures

John J. Bausch III

doi:10.1117/12.417272

9 February 2001 Environmentally conscious redesign of turbine blade fixtures

John J. Bausch III

Proceedings Volume 4193, Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing; (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.417272
Event: Intelligent Systems and Smart Manufacturing, 2000, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract

This paper examines the re-design of turbine blade fixtures for the plasma spray coating process. The plasma spray process is used to apply a ceramic coating to turbine blades prior to gas turbine engine assembly. Without the ceramic coating, the blades would fail under the high temperatures produced during combustion. As a result, the plasma spray process is essential to modern gas turbine engines; the process as is stands, however, is environmentally expensive. Turbine blade holding fixtures are an integral part of the coating process, to both hold the blades within the furnace, and to protect precision assembly features on the root section of the turbine blade. In addition to the fuel costs and safety problems associated with the high temperature furnace, an environmentally hazardous acid bath is used to strip the ceramic coating from the fixtures to allow reuse. This acid bath is costly in terms of both production and the environment. The fixture redesign examines the functionality of the existing fixture design using a combination of classical, design for manufacturing, and axiomatic design methodologies, and develops a new design to eliminate the need for the acid bath. The new design also improves the productivity and safety of the plasma spray coating process. A prototype for the new design has been constructed and tested. The paper also discusses the economic benefits of the improved fixture design.

Citation Download Citation

John J. Bausch III "Environmentally conscious redesign of turbine blade fixtures", Proc. SPIE 4193, Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing, (9 February 2001); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.417272

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available