T700 Blisk and Impeller Manufacturing Process Development Program.
Abstract
Highly automated processes were developed to machine and control the quality of airfoils on the blisks and impeller which are the principal rotating components of the compressor for the T700-GE-700 engine, which powers advanced military helicopters. This development was carried out under a Manufacturing Methods and Technology contract awarded by the Army Aviation System Command, which later became the Army Aviation Research and Development Command (AVRADCOM), to the Aircraft Engines Business Group of the General Electric Company in Lynn, Massachusetts. Processes which were previously available, and which were used to produce airfoils for development engines, were too costly and too dependent on manual skill to meet volume production requirements. Five-axis precision contour milling was developed to machine the airfoils of the five axial flow blisk stages and the impeller, all of which are integral with their supporting disk. A new milling machine was designed for this process, which machines four identical parts simultaneously. This machine is directed by advanced computer numerical control. The programs which supply positioning information to this control for machining blisk airfoils were developed with APT; and special programming techniques that were devised for these programs. The programs for machining impeller airfoils were developed with HECTRAN, which is a proprietary processor for impeller machining programs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA093877
Entities
People
- G. A. Grimmer
- W. A. Hunter
Organizations
- General Electric