Inconel Blisk Repair by Laser Deposition

Blisks are important in the design of modern aircraft engines. They offer attractive performance benefits, but due to their expense they require robust repair schemes, in order to avoid costly replacement during overhaul. The Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS) process has demonstrated repair of blisks without compromising mechanical integrity. LENS is an additive manufacturing technique, where the original material, in this case Inconel, is deposited in the repair area to achieve a full metallurgical bond, with properties often approaching those of the original material. In this work we will develop a repair for an Inconel blisk airfoil that has suffered Foreign Object Damage. In Phase I we will investigate methods to refine the grain size of LENS-deposited Inconel, and investigate localized heat-treatment. We will also look at methods to understand and control the deposition and heat-treatment processes. In the Phase I option, we will refine the processes, model them, and test the properties of the materials. In Phase II, we will develop and demonstrate the entire repair process, and show whether proceeding to qualification would result in a return on investment for the Navy.