IP Library Granted Patent US 9,981,333
Granted Patent B2
US 9,981,333 · App. 14/442,225 · Granted May 29, 2018

Method for manufacturing rotary article by cold metal transfer welding deposition and rotary article as manufactured

Inventors: Wen Tan (Shanghai, CN); Renwei Yuan (Shanghai, CN); Hongyuan Shen (Shanghai, CN); Lei Yang (Shanghai, CN); Yong Liu (Shanghai, CN); Zhixue Peng (Shanghai, CN); Yanmin Li (Shanghai, CN); Guoshuang Cai (Shanghai, CN)
Assignee: General Electric Company
B23K9/048B23K9/124B23K9/16B23P15/006F04D29/284
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,981,333
App. No.
14/442,225
Granted
May 29, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for manufacturing a rotary article comprises: providing a cold metal transfer welding apparatus comprising a welding torch; providing a rotary substrate; providing a digital representation of the rotary article having at least one internal flo passage; defining a welding path on the rotary substrate based on the digital representation; rotating the rotary substrate while depositing a filler metal layer by layer on the welding path of the rotary substrate to form the rotary article; and separating the rotary substrate from the rotary article.

Claims (43)

1. A method for manufacturing a rotary article, the method comprising:

defining a welding path on a rotary substrate based on a digital representation of the rotary article having at least one internal flow passage;

rotating the rotary substrate while depositing layer by layer of a filler metal on the welding path of the rotary substrate to form the rotary article, wherein depositing each layer comprises:

(i) depositing a circle or near circle structure on the rotary substrate while rotating the rotary substrate; and

(ii) depositing a blade structure by moving a welding torch of a cold metal transfer welding apparatus, relative to the rotary substrate along a direction intersecting with the circle or near circle structure while maintaining the rotary substrate unrotated; and

separating the rotary substrate from the rotary article.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing each layer further comprises:

(iii) moving at least one of the welding torch and the rotary substrate along or parallel to an axial direction of the rotary substrate;

(iv) depositing another circle or near circle structure while rotating the rotary substrate;

(v) rotating the rotary substrate; and

(vi) repeating steps (ii) and (v) until each layer of all blade structures are deposited.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein in step (v), the rotary substrate is rotated to an angle so as to deposit a next blade structure adjacent to a previous blade structure.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein in step (v), the rotary substrate is rotated to an angle so as to deposit a next blade structure opposite or nearly opposite to a previous blade structure.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising finishing the rotary article by electrical discharge machining.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising cooling the rotary substrate and deposit thereon by passing a cooling fluid through a hole in the rotary substrate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filler metal is selected from the group consisting of carbon steel, alloyed steel, nickel alloy, titanium alloy, and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filler metal is fed at a rate ranging from about 3 m/min to about 10 m/min during the depositing.

9. A method for manufacturing a rotary article, the method comprising:

depositing layer by layer of a filler metal on a rotary substrate while concurrently performing at least one of rotating or moving the rotary substrate and moving a welding torch of a cold metal transfer welding apparatus, to form the rotary article, wherein depositing each layer comprises:

(i) depositing a circle or near circle structure on the rotary substrate while rotating the rotary substrate; and

(ii) depositing a blade structure by moving the welding torch relative to the rotary substrate along a direction intersecting with the circle or near circle structure while maintaining the rotary substrate unrotated or while rotating the rotary substrate; and

separating the rotary substrate from the rotary article.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising finishing the rotary article by electrical discharge machining.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising cooling the rotary substrate and deposit thereon by passing a cooling fluid through a hole in the rotary substrate.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the filler metal is selected from the group consisting of carbon steel, alloyed steel, nickel alloy, titanium alloy, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the filler metal is fed at a rate ranging from about 3 m/min to about 10 m/min during depositing.

14. A method for manufacturing a rotary article, comprising:

defining a welding path on a rotary substrate based on a digital representation of the rotary article having at least one internal flow passage;

rotating the rotary substrate while depositing layer by layer of a filler metal on the welding path of the rotary substrate to form the rotary article, wherein depositing each layer comprises:

(i) depositing a circle or near circle structure on the rotary substrate while rotating the rotary substrate; and

(ii) depositing a blade structure by moving a welding torch of a cold metal transfer welding apparatus, relative to the rotary substrate along a direction intersecting with the circle or near circle structure while rotating the rotary substrate; and

separating the rotary substrate from the rotary article.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein depositing each layer further comprises:

(iii) moving at least one of the welding torch and the rotary substrate along or parallel to an axial direction of the rotary substrate;

(iv) depositing another circle or near circle structure while rotating the rotary substrate;

(v) rotating the rotary substrate; and

(vi) repeating steps (ii) and (v) until each layer of all blade structures are deposited.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein in step (v), the rotary substrate is rotated to an angle so as to deposit a next blade structure adjacent to a previous blade structure.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein in step (v), the rotary substrate is rotated to an angle so as to deposit a blade structure opposite or nearly opposite to a previous blade structure.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising finishing the rotary article by electrical discharge machining.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising cooling the rotary substrate and deposit thereon by passing a cooling fluid through a hole in the rotary substrate.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the filler metal is selected from the group consisting of carbon steel, alloyed steel, nickel alloy, titanium alloy, and combinations thereof.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein the filler metal is fed at a rate ranging from about 3 m/min to about 10 m/min during the depositing.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 18, 2020
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: NUOVO PIGNONE TECHNOLOGIE S.R.L.
Reel/Frame 052185/0507 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2015
From: TAN, WEN; YUAN, RENWEI; LI, YANMIN; LIU, YONG; CAI, GUOSHUANG; PENG, ZHIXUE; SHEN, HONGYUAN; YANG, LEI
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 035618/0186 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 2012 1 0452167 · Nov 12, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160297024A1 · Oct 13, 2016