Fraunhofer Iltwinsaviation Week2012 Innovation Challenge for Additive Manufacturing of Blisks

March 28, 2012
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Fraunhofer ILTwinsAviation Week2012 Innovation Challenge for Additive Manufacturing of BLISKs

The American magazine Aviation Week awards excellent solutions for the aerospace and defense (A&D)industry annually. Sought-after are new developments, e.g., for sinking production costs and improving integration of innovative technologies. The team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT has won the 2012 Innovation Challenge in the category “Power and Propulsion” for its additive manufacturing process of BLISKs. Representing the entire team, Dr. IngomarKelbassa and Johannes Witzel received the award in Washington, D.C. onMarch 7, 2012.
Turbomachines form the heart of power plants and airplanes. As the need for energy and mobility grows, so too increases the demand for turbomachines as providersof energy.What is currently at stake isdesigning them in such a way that they produce more energy andless CO2while using less fuel. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT and the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT have made it their goal of implementing processes for the manufacture and maintenance of energy-efficient turbomachines. Together with the Fraunhofer Society and the German Federal State of North-Rhine Westphalia, they have called into life the Aachen Fraunhofer Cluster for Innovation “Integrative Production Technology for Energy-Efficient Turbomachines” with a total volume of 10.25 million Euros. Also part of the project are 16 industrial enterprises, among others global players such as MAN Diesel & Turbo, Siemens PG, Rolls-Royce Deutschland and MTU Aero Engines.

Preserving Resources and the EnvironmentIntelligently

BLISKs are important components for aircraft engine and turbine construction, consisting of disks with integrated compressor blades. Currently BLISKs are produced withconventional manufacturing processes, e.g. five-axis milling, creating a great loss of material and use of energy and time, and causing very high production costs. Within the Fraunhofer Cluster for Innovation “TurPro” – in cooperation with Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG as well as in partnership with the Fraunhofer IPT – the Fraunhofer ILT has developed a laser-based process that preserves resources during manufacture and maintenance of BLISKs.

In this process, a powder feed nozzle applies alayer of nickel or titanium-based alloy exactly where a blade should be formedon the discwith the highest precision. Then, the laser beam melts the powder and joins it with the underlying material. This way, a compressor blade can be built layer by layer. This additive manufacturing method, Laser Material Deposition LMD, is also suitable for maintaining components. Using the innovative manufacturing technology, the Aachen researchers have been able to save materials by up to 60 percent as compared to conventional processes and to shorten the overall manufacturing time by around 30 percent, all of which slashes the production costs of BLISKS significantly.

Captions:

Figure 1: Laser Material Deposition LMD of test blades on a BLISK demonstration model.

Source: Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, Aachen
Figure 2: Representing the team as the Fraunhofer ILT, Dr. IngomarKelbassaand Johannes Witzelaccept the prize from Aviation Week in Washington, D.C.
Source: Copyright ©2012 Aviation Week, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

Contact Partners at Fraunhofer ILT

Our experts will be glad to any your questions:

Dr.-Ing.IngomarKelbassa, Academicand Vice Director

Chair for Laser Technology LLT, RWTH Aachen University

Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT

Telephone +49 241 8906-143

Dipl.-Ing. Johannes Witzel, M. Eng.

LaserMaterial Deposition LMD

Telephone +49 241 8906-535

Dr.-Ing. Andres Gasser
GroupLeader Laser Material Deposition LMD
Telephone +49 241 8906-209

Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT

Steinbachstraße 15

52074 Aachen, Germany

Tel. +49 241 8906-0

Fax. +49 241 8906-121

Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT

Marketing and Communication

Dipl.-Phys. Axel Bauer

Steinbachstraße 15

52074 Aachen, Germany

Telephone +49 241 8906-194

Fax +49 241 8906-121