Laser Repair of Compressor Blades

Military aircraft are continuously required to operate in harsh conditions, which result in accelerated turbine engine compressor blade damage by erosion or by foreign object damage (FOD). These damaged blades reduce engine performance, increase fuel consumption, and damage compressor hardware resulting in decreased safety and mission performance. The desire to extend airworthiness of the navy’s air fleet requires continuous efforts in dealing with these damaged components. The replacement or repair of damaged compressor blades, and blade integrated disks called "blisks", constitutes a significant expense for Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) as well as the entire US military air fleet. The advanced manufacturing process that can offer a low heat input metal deposition with a reliable metallurgical bond, while combining pre-and post-deposition machining operations in one automated repair process and machine, promises to revolutionize the cost and time of repair of these complex geometry components. In Phase-II, HRT will refine the PMD™ repair system processes for producing repair of the leading edge on a specified compressor blade and/or blisk with quality acceptable to the engine OEMs and the NAVY.