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EP-4737031-A1 - MULTIPLE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUE MATERIAL DEPOSITION

EP4737031A1EP 4737031 A1EP4737031 A1EP 4737031A1EP-4737031-A1

Abstract

A method of making a metallic component (114) includes mounting a polymeric scaffold (102) onto a mandrel (108), wherein the mandrel (108) includes one or more chucks (108a) configured to secure the polymeric scaffold (102) onto the mandrel (108) and wherein the mandrel (108) is configured to rotate the polymeric scaffold (102); depositing, with a second additive manufacturing technique using a material applicator (110), a component material (112) onto the polymeric scaffold (102) to form the metallic component (114) on the polymeric scaffold (102), wherein the component (114) has a shape that is the same as the polymeric scaffold (102); removing the polymeric scaffold (102); and the metallic component (114) deposited on the polymeric scaffold (102) from the mandrel (108); and removing the polymeric scaffold (102) from the metallic component (114).

Inventors

  • BINEK, LAWRENCE
  • BOYER, Jesse
  • OTT, JOSEPH

Assignees

  • RTX Corporation

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20251029

Claims (13)

  1. A method of making a metallic component (114), comprising the steps of: mounting a polymeric scaffold (102) onto a mandrel (108), wherein the mandrel (108) includes one or more chucks (108a) configured to secure the polymeric scaffold (102) onto the mandrel (108) and wherein the mandrel (108) is configured to rotate the polymeric scaffold (102); depositing, with a second additive manufacturing technique using a material applicator (110), a component material (112) onto the polymeric scaffold (102) to form the metallic component (114) on the polymeric scaffold (102), wherein the component (114) has a shape that is the same as the polymeric scaffold (102); removing the polymeric scaffold (102) and the metallic component (114) deposited on the polymeric scaffold (102) from the mandrel (108); and removing the polymeric scaffold (102) from the metallic component (114).
  2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: building, using a first additive manufacturing technique, the polymeric scaffold (102).
  3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first additive manufacturing technique is material extrusion.
  4. The method of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the polymeric scaffold (102) is formed in the shape of a gas turbine engine combustor liner.
  5. The method of claim 4, wherein the polymeric scaffold (102) includes one or more apertures (106).
  6. The method of claim 4 or 5, wherein the second additive manufacturing technique is cold spray and the component material (112) is copper or a copper alloy.
  7. The method of claim 6, wherein the polymeric scaffold (102) includes an inner bore (104) configured to define a combustion chamber of the combustor liner when the component material (112) is deposited onto the polymeric scaffold (102).
  8. The method of claim 7, wherein the material applicator (110) includes a moveable spray head (110a) that is configured to bend at least 90° to permit the component material (112) to be deposited onto the inner bore (104) of the polymer scaffold (102).
  9. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the mandrel (108) is removed from the polymeric scaffold (102) after the metallic component (114) is formed on the polymeric scaffold (102).
  10. The method of claim 9, wherein the polymeric scaffold (102) is removed from the metallic component (114) after the mandrel (108) is removed from the polymeric scaffold (102).
  11. The method of claim 10, wherein the polymeric scaffold (102) is removed from the metallic component (114) using a chemical reagent.
  12. The method of claim 10, wherein the polymeric scaffold (102) is removed from the metallic component (114) using a thermal removal process.
  13. A metallic component (114) made using the method of any preceding claim.

Description

The present disclosure relates generally to a gas turbine engine combustor and, more particularly, a gas turbine engine combustor with features that are suitable for construction using additive manufacturing techniques. Using a single additive manufacturing technique to build certain geometries can be limited due to challenges with the additive manufacturing techniques. For example, building large monolithic parts build using powder bed fusion additive manufacturing techniques can result in a considerable amount of internal stress that produces cracking or damage to the build plate. In other examples, building tall thin parts, such as gas turbine engine combustors, can be challenged by distortion and possible recoater interaction. SUMMARY One aspect of this disclosure is directed to a method of making a metallic component including mounting a polymeric scaffold onto a mandrel, wherein the mandrel includes one or more chucks configured to secure the polymeric scaffold onto the mandrel and wherein the mandrel is configured to rotate the polymeric scaffold; depositing, with a second additive manufacturing (AM) technique using a material applicator, a component material onto the polymeric scaffold to form the metallic component on the polymeric scaffold, wherein the component has a shape that is the same as the polymeric scaffold; removing the polymeric scaffold; and the metallic component deposited on the polymeric scaffold from the mandrel; and removing the polymeric scaffold from the metallic component. Another aspect of this disclosure is directed to a metallic component made using the above method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a view of polymeric scaffold of the present disclosure.Fig. 2A is mandrel useful in the manufacturing technique of the present disclosure.Fig. 2B is view of the polymeric scaffold of Fig. 1 mounted on the mandrel of Fig. 2A.Fig. 3A is a schematic view a component being built on the polymeric scaffold of Fig. 2B while the mandrel rotates.Fig. 3B is a focused view of an aperture of the component of Fig. 3A as deposited on the polymeric scaffold. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Small gas turbine engines are useful for a number of applications for which small size, high altitude relight capability, improved operability and lean blow out characteristics, and good operational life are desirable. In addition, it is often desirable that significant portions of such gas turbine engines can be made using additive manufacturing processes. While combustor liners for such gas turbine engines are frequently made from nickel-based superalloys, there are advantages to making such combustor liners from copper or copper alloys. Copper and copper alloys, however, can be difficult to print using powder bed fusion (PBF) additive manufacturing (AM) techniques. The multiple additive manufacturing technique material deposition method of this disclosure uses a combination of AM techniques that are more compatible with copper and copper alloys to be able to build large monolithic parts and tall thin-walled structures such as gas turbine engine combustor liners. Fig. 1 shows a polymeric scaffold 102 that can be the foundation for building a metallic component 114 (see Figs. 3A and 3B), which can be a gas turbine engine combustor liner or another component. The polymeric scaffold 102 should have a shape consistent with the desired metallic component 114. In the example of Fig. 1, the polymeric scaffold 102 includes an inner bore 104, which can, for example, become a combustion chamber of a combustor liner. Depending on the requirements of a particular application, the polymeric scaffold 102 can include one or more apertures 106 that can facilitate operation of the part that the metallic component 114 will become when finished and an inner portion 102a that facilitates the selected AM processes. The polymeric scaffold 102 can be made from any appropriate manufacturing technique, including molding, casting, an AM technique or any other manufacturing technique deemed appropriate for a particular application. In one example, the polymeric scaffold 102 can be made using a material extrusion (MEX) AM technique using process parameters deemed appropriate for a particular application. The apertures 106 can be formed directly in the polymeric scaffold 102, avoiding the need for a post-processing step to drill the apertures 106, or the apertures 106 can be formed by any other method, including a post-processing step. The shape, dimensions, mechanical properties, and material composition of the polymeric scaffold 102 should be selected to be appropriate for the selected application. Depending on the selected application, the polymeric scaffold 102 can be made from a thermoplastic material such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers (ABS), polylactide (PLA), polycarbonate (PC) and polyamides (PA), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polytetrafluoroethylene and other thermoplastic materials. In other applications, the p