Customer Challenge
High Pressure NGV of an aero engine exhibited cracks on its land and adjacent seal slots, requiring a weld repair process to restore the component to its original design intent. Challenges included:
- Achieving acceptable welding at the Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC) region
- Ensuring acceptable material properties due to microstructure changes at the weld region
- Avoiding the possibility of weld failure
Scope
- Create a repair solution
- Support the customer approval process
- Publish repair manuals
Solution
- Developed a repair solution for validation trials
- Determined weld parameters
- Finalized the repair process and control parameters for buy-off by customer specialists
- Published engine manuals with approved procedures
Benefits
- Proved repair process through trial welding on sample blades
- Justified the absence of TBC at the weld region through engineering analysis
- Conducted lab tests on trial blades for microstructure validation
Results
- Significantly reduced part burn down
- Improved supplier delivery performance
Features
- Trial welding on sample blades to prove the repair process
- Engineering analysis to justify the acceptability of the absence of TBC at the weld region
- Lab testing of trial blades for microstructure validation