Improved Manufacturing Technologies for Aircraft Engines

FOPAT LLC of Dayton Ohio in conjunction with Harrington Product Development Center (HPDC) of Cincinnati, Ohio have developed an advanced, dimensionally accurate, temperature-stable, energy-efficient and cost-effective material and process to manufacture patterns for the investment casting industry. Manufacturing of aircraft engine components affordably and accurately is highly dependent on the investment casting process capabilities. The present method for investment casting is "The Lost Wax" process, which is exactly that, the use of wax as a pattern material, which is then melted out or `lost' from the ceramic shell. The molten metal is then poured into the ceramic shell to produce a metal casting. This process goes back thousands of years and while there have been improvements in the wax and processing technology, the material is the same, wax. In the proposed technology, FOPAT (a FOam PATtern material) has been developed which is especially compatible with the investment casting process. FOPAT's team approach of CTM, the machine builder, HPDC, the material developer, S&A, the investment casting expert, and buyCASTINGS the commercialization outlet and program manager, will ensure that the proposed innovation is demonstrated in Phase I, commercialized successfully in Phase II, and meets Air Force's and AMPICC's cost reduction goals.