US-12617018-B2 - Adaptive overhaul with two braze material and structured light scans

US12617018B2US 12617018 B2US12617018 B2US 12617018B2US-12617018-B2

Abstract

A method includes scanning a component using structured light to provide first scanned data, comparing the first scanned data to reference data to provide additive manufacturing data, depositing material on the component using an additive manufacturing device based upon the additive manufacturing data to provide a first object. Depositing material initially depositing a first material having a relatively high melting point, then depositing a second material which has a melting point lower than the relatively high melting point of the first material. The depositing step including heating the first and second materials with a laser to sinter the materials to the component, then putting the component into the furnace for a heat cycle, determining predicted characteristics of the first object, comparing the predicted characteristics of the first object to the reference data to provide machining data and machining the first object.

Inventors

Donald B. Bell
Charles Trent Daulton
Kevin M. Tracy

Assignees

PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230303

Claims (13)

1 . A method of overhaul of a component, comprising: a) scanning a component using structured light to provide first scanned data; b) comparing the first scanned data to reference data to provide additive manufacturing data; c) depositing material on the component using an additive manufacturing device based upon the additive manufacturing data to provide a first object, the depositing of material includes initially depositing a first material having a relatively high melting point, and then depositing a second material which has a melting point lower than the relatively high melting point of the first material, with the depositing step further including heating the first and second materials with a laser to sinter the materials to the component, then putting the component into a furnace for a heat cycle, and such that the second material moves around the first material, as they both melt; d) determining predicted characteristics of the first object; e) comparing the predicted characteristics of the first object to the reference data to provide machining data; f) machining the first object using the machining data; wherein the second material fills a void in the component; and wherein the first material forms a cladding over a substrate of the component.
2 . The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein step d) includes scanning the component again utilizing structured light to provide second scan data.
3 . The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the structured light comprises structured white light.
4 . The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the structured light comprises structured blue light.
5 . The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the reference data comprises data from a design specification for the component.
6 . The method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising removing a residual coating from the component to expose a surface prior to step c).
7 . The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the machining of step f) removes some of the material deposited during step c).
8 . The method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising coating a surface of a second object, wherein the second object is formed by the machining of the first object in step f).
9 . The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the component is from a gas turbine engine.
10 . A method of overhaul of a component, comprising: a) scanning a component using structured light to provide first scanned data; b) comparing the first scanned data to reference data to provide additive manufacturing data; c) depositing material on the component using an additive manufacturing device based upon the additive manufacturing data to provide a first object, the depositing of material includes initially depositing a first material having a relatively high melting point, and then depositing a second material which has a melting point lower than the relatively high melting point of the first material, with the depositing step further including heating the first and second materials with a laser to sinter the materials to the component, then putting the component into a furnace for a heat cycle, and such that the second material moves around the first material, as they both melt; d) determining predicted characteristics of the first object wherein step d) includes scanning the first object utilizing structured light to provide second scan data; e) comparing the predicted characteristics of the first object to the reference data to provide machining data; and f) machining the first object using the machining data wherein the machining of step f) removes some of the material deposited during step c); wherein the second material fills a void in the component; and wherein the first material forms a cladding over a worn surface on the component.
11 . The method as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the first material forms a cladding over a worn surface on the component.
12 . The method as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the structured light comprises structured white light.
13 . The method as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the structured light comprises structured blue light.

Description

BACKGROUND This application relates generally to repairing a component utilizing two braze materials. Modern systems are including more and more complex components. As the components become more complex they become more expensive. There is thus need to repair the components rather than simply replace them. Defects in a component may be repaired using braze filler material or weld filler. Various processes are known in the art for applying such material to a component. While these known processes have various advantages, there is still room in the art for improvement. One type of components which are frequently subject to repair are components in a gas turbine engine. SUMMARY A method of overhaul of a component includes a) scanning a component using structured light to provide first scanned data, b) comparing the first scanned data to reference data to provide additive manufacturing data, c) depositing material on the component using an additive manufacturing device based upon the additive manufacturing data to provide a first object, the depositing of material includes initially depositing a first material having a relatively high melting point, and then depositing a second material which has a melting point lower than the relatively high melting point of the first material, with the depositing step further including heating the first and second materials with a laser to sinter the materials to the component, then putting the component into the furnace for a heat cycle, d) determining predicted characteristics of the first object, e) comparing the predicted characteristics of the first object to the reference data to provide machining data and f) machining the first object using the machining data. These and other features will be best understood from the following drawings and specification, the following is a brief description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1A shows a gas turbine engine component to be repaired. FIG. 1B shows a detail of the FIG. 1A component. FIG. 2A shows an additive manufacturing device. FIG. 2B shows a furnace associated with the FIG. 2A device. FIG. 2C shows a detail of a coated component in the furnace. FIG. 2D shows a step subsequent to the FIG. 2C step. FIG. 2E shows yet another subsequent step. FIG. 3 shows a combined system for repairing a component. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method according to this disclosure. FIG. 5 shows a component needing repair. FIG. 6 shows a first step in the repair process. FIG. 7A shows a subsequent step in the repair process. FIG. 7B shows a subsequent step. FIG. 7C shows a subsequent step. FIG. 7D shows a subsequent step. FIG. 8 shows subsequent machining of the FIG. 7D component. FIG. 9 shows a final optional manufacturing step. DETAILED DESCRIPTION A component 20 is illustrated in FIG. 1A as a turbine section static guide vane for a gas turbine engine. It should be understood that the teaching of this disclosure would extend to any number of other components for a gas turbine engine. As examples, blades, combustor liners, compressor section components and any number of housing components may all benefit from the teachings of this disclosure. In fact, the teachings of this disclosure extend to repairing components for applications other than gas turbine engines. The component 20 illustrated in FIG. 1A has two areas that indicate some needed repair. It should be understood that components in a gas turbine engine are subject to extreme conditions. Thus, a defect 22, such as a crack, a divot, a pitted area, etc. may form. Collectively these are referred to here as a void. Further, it is possible for an area of wear 124 to form. As shown in FIG. 1B, the component 20 has a coating 27 which has been partially removed both in the area of the void 22, and in the wear area 124. FIGS. 2A-2C disclose a system which might be utilized to repair the FIG. 1A/1B component. Referring to FIG. 2A, the additive manufacturing device 24 may be configured as a laser material deposition device, and may be called a direct laser braze cladding machine. A component support 28 supports a component 20 to be repaired. A pair of material reservoirs 30A and 30B are provided, as is a nozzle 32, a laser 34 and a material regulation device 36, all within an internal build chamber 38. The first material reservoir 30A stores a quantity of first braze powder 40A, and second material reservoir 30B stores a quantity of second braze powder 40B, to be supplied to the nozzle 32 through the material regulation device 36 during select additive manufacturing device operations. A control 100 is programmed to control material regulation device 36 to selectively direct the first braze powder 40A during a first mode, and selectively direct the second braze powder 40B during a second mode. The material regulation device 36 may also be controlled to selectively direct one or more combinations of the first braze powder 40A and the second braze powder 40B to the nozzle 32 during a third mode