Method of manufacture of compressor rotor assembly

Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a compressor rotor assembly comprising a shaft and at least one disc having integral radially extend aerofoil blades which disc is coaxially mounted on said shaft and is coaxial therewith, comprising injecting a mixture of short fibres and a matrix material into a dividable die so configured as to define the form of said compressor rotor assembly, said mixture being injected into said die at such a location that the majority of said fibres in said mixture which enter that portion of said die defining said shaft are generally axially aligned and the majority of said fibres in said mixture which enter the portions of said die which define said aerofoil blades are generally radially aligned, said portion of said die defining said at least one bladed disc containing at least one support ring which is so positioned within said die as to be integral with said bladed disc after said injection moulding step and additionally provide radial support for the thus moulded aerofoil blades and subsequently opening said die to release the thus moulded compressor rotor assembly.

Claim 2

A method of manufacturing a compressor rotor assembly comprising a shaft and at least one disc having integral radially extend aerofoil blades which disc is coaxially mounted on said shaft and is coaxial therewith, comprising injecting a mixture of short fibres and a matrix material into a dividable die so configured as to define the form of said compressor rotor assembly, said mixture being injected into said die at such a location that the majority of said fibres in said mixture which enter that portion of said die defining said shaft are generally axially aligned and the majority of said fibres in said mixture which enter the portions of said die which define said aerofoil blades are generally radially aligned, said portion of said die defining said at least one bladed disc containing at least one support ring which is so positioned within said die as to be integral with said bladed disc after said injection moulding step and additionally provide radial support for the thus moulded aerofoil blades and subsequently opening said die to release the thus moulded compressor rotor assembly.

Claim 13

A method of manufacturing a compressor rotor assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein said at least one support ring comprises filament wound fibre, selected from the group comprising carbon fibre, steel wire, silicon carbide fibre and alumina fibre.