Integrated Digitizing, Path Planning, and Five-Axis Machining for the Refurbishment of Compressor and Turbine Blades

The compressor and turbine blades used in jet aircraft engines wear down due to tip rubbing against the outer shroud. To restore the original shape, these blades must be either replaced, or, more economically, refurbished. Refurbishment of blades is accomplished by applying a weld bead to the tip, followed by removal of excess material. This paper describes an overview of an integrated system for accomplishing the material removal step. The separate tasks of digitizing the blade to obtain original shape information, automatically calculating the tool paths, and machining the blades, are combined into a turnkey system implemented using a five-axis machine tool and attached personal computer. Experimental results demonstrate the capability of the system for sample blade shapes.