A Reverse Engineering Application for Improved Manufacture of Wide Chord Fan
Blades (WCFB) used in Aero Engines.
M Mavromihales, Senior Lecturer, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing Systems,
University of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK E-mail: M.Mavromihales@hud.ac.uk

J Mason, Project Engineer, Rolls-Royce Commercial Aero Engines, Barnoldswick, UK

W Weston, HOD, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing Systems, University of
Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK E-mail: W.Weston@hud.ac.uk

FREE ABSTRACT (to read the full article, please log in below).

Super plastic formed wide chord fan blades are manufactured by diffusion bonding five separate blade pieces under high pressure.  The blade is then 'hot creep formed into the required shape, using pressure to force the blade against the die walls to yield the desired form, blade twist and the honeycomb centre required.
A reverse engineering solution was used to improve the geometry of the castings by predicting die distortion more accurately.  Point cloud models of nine casting sets were imported into reverse engineering software 'Surfacer' which made possible a comparison with the surface geometry representation required.  The resulting design information enabled more accurate die set design.  Waterline machining had been substantially reduced and die life has been extended.


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© Copyright 2002 Professor F.R. Hall - University of Wolverhampton.