Some Applications

Adaptive machining based on geometric measurements can be used effectively in many areas. Here are some customer applications and manufacturing tasks that have been implemented using our solutions.

Aero engines and gas turbines

Fan
New part: During final machining of forged blanks, vibration dampers (snubbers) and the platform are milled according to the nominal geometry. Adaptation achieves a smooth transition into the blade surface.

Repair: Welding of the leading edge. Recontouring of the welded leading edge. Recontouring of the leading edge in the incoming condition.

Compressor
Repair: Overlay welding of edges and tips of blades and vanes. Recontouring of welded or patched tips or leading and trailing edges.

Blisk
New part: Adaptive milling of friction-welded blisks. The holders required for friction welding are removed using an adaptive milling strategy to ensure a smooth transition into the blade surface and the annulus.

Repair: Analogous to blades and vanes.

Combustion Chamber
Repair: White-light interferometry scanners and crack detection techniques help automate complex welding and patch repairs.

Turbine Blades
Repair: Tip repair involves first cutting the turbine blades to length and then adaptively welding and/or adaptively recontouring them by milling or grinding.

Turbine High-Pressure Guide Vanes (NGV)
Repair: High loads lead to wear of the blade profile. After stripping, the guide vanes are scanned. Following brazing, adaptive reprofiling enables a continuous, automated repair process chain.

Turbine Low-Pressure Guide Vanes
Repair: Adaptive welding and reprofiling of Z-notches and seals using milling and grinding processes.

Impeller
Repair: The edges of impeller blades are automatically milled, welded, and recontoured. This adaptive repair process chain can be implemented very cost-effectively, especially on hybrid machines (additive and subtractive processes).

Additive Manufacturing

Support for 3D Printing and Post-Processing

Within hybrid manufacturing processes, OpenARMS can adapt both the material application and subsequent machining to nominal conditions. For example, a base component can be scanned to begin the AM build of functional elements. These elements can then be subtractively machined to their final dimensions. The removal of no longer required support structures from AM components is also one of the tasks that can be realised with BCT solutions.

Machining of carbon fiber components

New parts: In many steps of composite manufacturing, deviations in the shape of the components from the nominal geometry cause problems. Automation using conventional NC processes therefore reaches its limits in these cases. Adapting the machining processes to the component shape can also handle such machining tasks. Compared to metallic components, NC machining of composite components is significantly more complex due to the large dimensions and the shape deviations. As component sizes continue to increase while tolerances become increasingly tight, geometrically adaptive machining is becoming increasingly important.

Typical applications include adaptive remilling of components with allowances (sacrificial machining) and contact surfaces. This reduces the effort required for subsequent shimming.

Repair: Patch repair of carbon fiber components often requires extensive material removal from or around damaged areas (scarfing). Manual execution is very demanding. In this case, adaptive machining can prepare the repair automatically. For this purpose, the component is scanned and the processing is adjusted based on this.

Other Industrial Applications

Tool Repair: Worn or locally damaged tools can be repaired using a process chain consisting of scanning, adaptive welding and adaptive milling. Damaged areas are first prepared by milling and scanned afterwards. The required material volume is then rebuilt by DED. Finally, an adaptive milling process restores the desired geometry.

Casting Deburring: Complex cast blanks can be automatically deburred using a continuous, adaptive process. The process begins with scanning the cast blank. Based on the scan data, the NC paths for removing the burrs are then geometrically adjusted. After milling, the cast blank is then free of all burrs, risers, etc.