Method of machining surfaces of rotor disc and grinding machine therefor

1. A method of manufacturing turned surfaces of a rotor disc of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:

rotating the rotor disc about a central axis thereof;

rotating an abrasive grinding wheel, the abrasive grinding wheel having an outer grinding surface with a hardness greater than that of a material of the rotor disc;

contacting the rotating wheel with at least one annular surface of the rotating disc; and

while contacting the rotating wheel with the at least one annular surface of the rotating disc, sliding the rotating wheel along a curved cross-sectional profile of the at least one annular surface of the rotating disc.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein sliding the rotating wheel includes varying a relative orientation between the wheel and the disc.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the at least one annular surface includes first and second annular surfaces of the disc, the method further comprising varying a relative orientation between the wheel and the disc while rotating the disc between sliding the rotating wheel along the curved cross-sectional profile of the first annular surface and contacting the rotating wheel with the second annular surface.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein rotating the abrasive grinding wheel includes rotating the grinding outer surface having a layer of cubic boron nitride or diamond grits.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the rotor disc includes a plurality of annular surfaces each having a curved cross-sectional profile, the method including sliding the rotating wheel along the curved cross-sectional profile of each of the plurality of annular surfaces.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a rotational speed of the rotor disc to maintain a same given contact surface speed between the rotor and the wheel as the rotating wheel slides along the at least one annular surface.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the material of the rotor disc has a hardness of at least 50 HRC.

8. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein before contacting the rotating wheel with the at least one annular surface of the rotating disc, the rotating wheel is at least partly inserted in an annular groove of the rotor disc without contacting the rotor disc, the at least one annular surface including an inner surface of the annular groove.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 , wherein at least partly inserting the rotating wheel in the annular groove includes maneuvering the rotating wheel behind an annular lip bordering the groove, the at least one annular surface including a surface of the annular lip located within the groove.

10. A method of finishing all curved turned surfaces in a rotor disc of a gas turbine engine, each of the curved turned surfaces having a curved cross-sectional profile, the method comprising:

retaining the rotor disc in a retaining mechanism;

rotating the rotor disc about a central axis thereof with the retaining mechanism; and

while rotating the rotor disc, contacting at least one rotating grinding wheel having a hardness greater than that of a material of the rotor disc with each of the curved turned surfaces by sliding the at least one grinding wheel along the curved cross-sectional profile of each of the curved turned surfaces without disengaging the rotating rotor disc from the retaining mechanism, thereby finishing each of the curved turned surfaces.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein sliding the at least one rotating wheel includes varying a relative orientation between the at least one rotating wheel and the rotating disc as the at least one rotating wheel slides along the cross-sectional profile.

12. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein sliding the at least one rotating wheel includes varying a relative orientation between the at least one rotating wheel and the rotating disc between sliding the at least one rotating wheel along the cross-sectional profile of a first one of the turned surfaces and along the cross-sectional profile of a second one of the turned surfaces.

13. The method as defined in claim 10 , further comprising adjusting a rotational speed of the rotor disc to maintain a same given contact surface speed between the rotor disc and the at least one grinding wheel as the wheel slides along each of the turned surfaces.

14. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein sliding the at least one grinding wheel includes contacting a rotating outer surface having a layer of cubic boron nitride or diamond grits with each of the turned surfaces.

15. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein before sliding the at least one rotating grinding wheel along the cross-sectional profile of one of the turned surfaces, the at least one rotating grinding wheel is at least partly inserted in an annular groove of the rotating rotor disc without contacting the rotor disc, the one of the turned surfaces being an inner surface of the annular groove.