Development of Rapid Prototyping Process for Ceramic Cores for Investment Castings

The ability to rapidly prototype investment casting cores suitable for single crystal turbine blade casting was demonstrated in the Phase I program.  Successful commercialization of this process requires several follow-on efforts: (1) improving process throughput and yield, (2) tailoring core strength and stability as required for single crystal or equiaxed casting processes, (3) understanding the source and magnitude of component-to-component variability and development of the capability to manufacture advanced cooling designs, (4) developing process improvements to reduce the cost and complexity of maintaining airfoil shapes and tolerances, and (5) improving the leachability of cores. Each of these topic areas represents an opportunity for improving the economics and market viability of the process and associated components. These efforts will allow the overall time and cost required to rapidly produce a core from an electronic design to be minimized. It is strongly anticipated that at the culmination of this Phase II effort, all of the necessary understanding, processes and techniques will be in place to begin offering core prototyping services to customers. Depending on the Phase II results, core removal services (leaching) for the resultant castings would also be offered as a part of the core prototyping service.   BENEFIT: The successful commercialization of this technology will allow for the rapid design and iteration of investment casting cores. More specifically, it will enable the rapid design and manufacture of cores for rotating and static castings for aircraft turbine engines. It is anticipated that this technology will enable rapid iteration of cooling schemes and that the typical 6-9 month lead time for production of a core from an electronic design can be reduced to about one week.  In addition to the reduced manufacturing time, this new process allows for several different engine sets of cores to be produced for todays cost of a single core die. As such, this technology provides the ability to more fully validate design models and to test multiple cooling schemes as part of the engine development process. Furthermore, core designs which are currently impossible or extremely difficult to produce become readily feasible, thus opening up a new realm of cooling schemes.  Initially, the business will provide rapid prototyping of cores, and (as required) leaching services for castings. The initial target market is investment casting cores for military turbine engine development programs. The intended customers are all engine and component manufacturers who participate in such programs. It is intended that this rapid prototyping technology will mature into a production process that is economically capable of providing cores for production castings.