Integrally bladed rotor fabrication or repair

Claim 1

A method for replacing a blade on an integrally bladed rotor, which comprises a disk having a plurality of integral blades projecting from the rim of the disk, including the steps of: a) removing a pre-existing blade, leaving a blade stub portion of said preexisting blade projecting from the disk rim, said blade stub having a face which constitutes a surface to which a replacement blade will be bonded; b) forming a replacement blade with a proposed bond surface, a collar about the periphery of said blade adjacent said proposed bond surface and bolt holes through said collar; c) securing said blade to a U-shaped blade holder, having two legs and a base, by bolting said blade through said bolt holes to the ends of the legs of said U-shaped blade holder; d) securing the base of said base holder to a bonding machine; e) positioning said replacement blade adjacent said blade stub; f) applying a force against said stub and said replacement blade with said force being applied to the replacement blade through the legs of said U-shaped holder and said collar; g) locally heating said intended bond surface, between said stub and said replacement blade, to a temperature which causes softening, metal flow and bonding; and h) removing said collar from said replacement blade by machining.

Claim 2

A method for replacing a blade on an integrally bladed rotor, which comprises a disk having a plurality of integral blades projecting from the rim of the disk, including the steps of: a) removing a pre-existing blade, leaving a blade stub portion of said preexisting blade projecting from the disk rim, said blade stub having a face which constitutes a surface to which a replacement blade will be bonded; b) forming a replacement blade with a proposed bond surface, a collar about the periphery of said blade adjacent said proposed bond surface and bolt holes through said collar; c) securing said blade to a U-shaped blade holder, having two legs and a base, by bolting said blade through said bolt holes to the ends of the legs of said U-shaped blade holder; d) securing the base of said base holder to a bonding machine; e) positioning said replacement blade adjacent said blade stub; f) applying a force against said stub and said replacement blade with said force being applied to the replacement blade through the legs of said U-shaped holder and said collar; g) locally heating said intended bond surface, between said stub and said replacement blade, to a temperature which causes softening, metal flow and bonding; and h) removing said collar from said replacement blade by machining.

Claim 3

A method for fabricating an integrally bladed rotor which comprises a disk having a plurality of integral blades projecting from the rim of the disk including the steps of: a) providing a disk having a plurality of projecting stubs; b) providing a plurality of blade preforms, each preform having a proposed bond surface, a collar about the periphery of said blade adjacent said proposed bond surface and bolt holes through said collar; c) securing to a bonding machine the base of a U-shaped blade holder having two legs and a base; d) the securing of a blade to said U-shaped blade holder by bolting said blade through said bolt holes to the ends of the legs of said U-shaped bolt holder; e) a positioning said replacement blade adjacent said stub; f) applying a force between said stub and said blade preform with said force being applied through said legs and said collar; g) locally heating said intended bond surface between said stub and said blade preform, to a temperature which causes softening, metal flow and bonding to cause bonding and then allowing the bond to cool; h) removing said collar from said blade by machining; and i) repeating steps d, e, f, and g until all stubs have blades attached thereto.

Claim 4

A method for fabricating an integrally bladed rotor which comprises a disk having a plurality of integral blades projecting from the rim of the disk including the steps of: a) providing a disk having a plurality of projecting stubs; b) providing a plurality of blade preforms, each preform having a proposed bond surface, a collar about the periphery of said blade adjacent said proposed bond surface and bolt holes through said collar; c) securing to a bonding machine the base of a U-shaped blade holder having two legs and a base; d) the securing of a blade to said U-shaped blade holder by bolting said blade through said bolt holes to the ends of the legs of said U-shaped bolt holder; e) a positioning said replacement blade adjacent said stub; f) applying a force between said stub and said blade preform with said force being applied through said legs and said collar; g) locally heating said intended bond surface between said stub and said blade preform, to a temperature which causes softening, metal flow and bonding to cause bonding and then allowing the bond to cool; h) removing said collar from said blade by machining; and i) repeating steps d, e, f, and g until all stubs have blades attached thereto.