Rolls-Royce has completed an eight-month research project on the shape metal deposition (SMD) manufacturing process at the Boeing/University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMCR). The UK aerospace company aims to eliminate up to seven engine manufacturing operations using the SMD process.
In the SMD process, layers of weld are deposited by robot to form complex components with minimal tooling. R-R expects to use the process with different materials, including Waspalloy, to manufacture different parts of an engine including non-symmetrical features. “One advantage of SMD is that it can allow last-minute design changes,” says R-R manufacturing engineer Barry Smith.
Developing the SMD process has involved experiments with different weld torch shroud gases, which have been introduced into the process to change the properties of different parts of the component being built.
The normal shroud gas is argon. Potentially, mixed gases could be introduced to create different material properties. R-R has also evaluated Waspalloy with SMD for possible use in combustion chambers for engines expected to follow the Trent 1000 now in development. The high-temperature nickel superalloy is made by New Jersey-based Techalloy.
ROB COPPINGER/LONDON
Source: Flight International
