Process and system for forming shaped air holes

US8857055B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• General Electric Company · US

Inventors

• Bin Wei · Mechanicville, US
• Jon Conrad Schaeffer · Simpsonville, US
• Ronald Scott Bunker · Sharonville, US
• Wenwu Zhang · Schenectady, US
• Kathleen Blanche Morey · Scotia, US
• Jane Marie Lipkin · Niskayuna, US
• Benjamin Paul Lacy · Greenville, US
• Wilbur Douglas Scheidt · Cincinnati, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 29, 2010
• Grant date: Oct 14, 2014
• Expiry date: Jun 23, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T29/49799
• WIPO field: Machine tools
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A process is provided for forming shaped air holes, such as for use in turbine blades. Aspects of the disclosure relate to forming shaped portions of air holes using a short pulse laser, forming a metered hole corresponding to each shaped portion, and separately finishing the shaped portion using a short-pulse laser. In other embodiments, the order of these operations may be varied, such as to form the shaped portions and to finish the shaped portions using the short-pulse laser prior to forming the corresponding metered holes.