Method of making an integral bladed member

Claim 1

A method of manufacturing an annular bladed member comprising a disc having a plurality of integral radially extending aerofoil blades on the periphery thereof and a central aperture from a fiber reinforced composite material comprising the steps of providing a dividable die having a first part and a second part which when joined together define a die cavity, placing at least one support ring in one of said dividable die members and then closing said die members, injecting a mixture of short fibers and a matrix material into said dividable die cavity which so configured as to define the form of a disc having a central aperture and integral, radially extending aerofoil blades on the periphery thereof, said mixture being injected into said die cavity as such a location that said short fibers in said mixture which enter those portions of said die cavity defining the aerofoil blades of said bladed member, generally radially align themselves during said injection molding step, said at least one support ring being so positioned in said die as to be coaxially disposed within the disc molded by said injection molding step and located adjacent the radially inner portions of the thus molded integral aerofoil blades to provide support therefor, and subsequently opening said die to release the thus molded bladed member.

Claim 2

A method of manufacturing an annular bladed member comprising a disc having a plurality of integral radially extending aerofoil blades on the periphery thereof and a central aperture from a fiber reinforced composite material comprising the steps of providing a dividable die having a first part and a second part which when joined together define a die cavity, placing at least one support ring in one of said dividable die members and then closing said die members, injecting a mixture of short fibers and a matrix material into said dividable die cavity which so configured as to define the form of a disc having a central aperture and integral, radially extending aerofoil blades on the periphery thereof, said mixture being injected into said die cavity as such a location that said short fibers in said mixture which enter those portions of said die cavity defining the aerofoil blades of said bladed member, generally radially align themselves during said injection molding step, said at least one support ring being so positioned in said die as to be coaxially disposed within the disc molded by said injection molding step and located adjacent the radially inner portions of the thus molded integral aerofoil blades to provide support therefor, and subsequently opening said die to release the thus molded bladed member.