AV&R has developed a new surface finishing process for gas turbine components. This new robotic technology, unprecedented in the aeronautical industry, makes it possible to automate the blending of a complex zone, more precisely the junction between three surfaces, characteristic of variable blades and compressor airfoils. AV&R calls this process: tri-blend.

Currently carried out manually by manufacturers of gas turbine parts, the automation of the airfoil tri-blend process thus makes it possible to correct surface defects, or even to create dimensional requirements.

With an average cycle time of 60 seconds, the tri-blend process is customizable to each manufacturer’s needs:

• The process adapts to the state of the manufacturer’s part, whether it already has a radius created or not.
• It can be coupled with other finishing processes on the same part: polishing, deburring or profiling.

Typical Area of a Variable Vane for Tri-blend:

Technologies and Tools:

• Radius creation
• Complex surface blending (tri-surface)
• Robot ©Fanuc 6-axis
• Mix of abrasive tools ©3M: belts and wheels
• Dust collector (wet and dry) – connected to the factory system
• BrainWave software by ©AV&R – the software simplifies the programming and use of the robotic system
  Offline programming option available
• Process available in the BF-X 200-c system: Compact, closed cell, part loading with trays, respect safety standards (RIA, CSA, CE…)

Benefits:

• Automate a difficult manual operation that generates additional production operations, all in a context of labor shortage.
• Ensure consistency in the quality of the blending of this complex area
• Decreased human subjectivity influencing the quality of the part produced
• Decreased amount of abrasives used
• Decreased risk of operators’ injury

Would you like to know more about this innovative process? Our team of experts is there to answer you. Contact us!