ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Optomec announced today that the company has received a Phase II SBIR
(Small Business Innovative Research) contract from the US Navy to
continue the development of a new repair capability for restoring
aircraft engine integrally bladed rotors (IBRs, also known as blisks).
The Phase II contract brings the total amount of funding to $900,000.
Optomec’s Phase I and Phase II proposals for funding were supported by
Pratt & Whitney, the leading supplier of gas turbine engines to the U.S.
Department of Defense.
Modern jet engines use IBRs, which are one-piece components integrating
the blades and disc. These components wear over time, as the tips of the
airfoils rub into the shrouds. They can also be damaged by foreign
objects entering the engine and impacting the airfoils. To repair these
components, material added to restore the damaged IBR airfoils must meet
the same stringent property requirements as new components. During six
years of development work, the LENS system has proven its ability over
competing processes in IBR repair because it has been shown to be
uniquely capable of producing material with the desired shape, structure
and properties for this demanding application. In addition, the LENS
process has demonstrated economic viability to repair IBRs that would
otherwise cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace.
In the current project, the nickel-based superalloy that is used to
manufacture the IBR is considered very difficult to weld, and typically
suffers from extensive cracking when welded. However, these problems
have been eliminated by using the LENS process. Dr. Richard Grylls, LENS
Product Manager for Optomec states, “We are implementing an upgraded
control system that enables the production of improved microstructures
that will enable the LENS process to make repairs with outstanding
properties for many high-strength superalloys, and also expand the
capability of LENS to repair Titanium IBRs. This new capability will
find application beyond IBR repair, including other airfoil repairs in
aerospace and industrial gas turbine applications.” The additional
funding will be used to conduct extensive mechanical property testing,
and to continue to advance the technology readiness level of this
repair. For more information on LENS, click
here.
Optomec is the world-leading provider of additive manufacturing
solutions for high-performance applications in the Electronics, Solar,
Medical, and Aerospace & Defense markets. These systems utilize
Optomec’s patented Aerosol Jet Printed Electronics technology and LENS
powder-metal fabrication technology. The company has a global customer
base of more than 100 users that includes many industry-leading
manufacturers.
Aerosol Jet and Optomec are registered trademarks of Optomec, Inc.
LENS is a registered trademark of Sandia Corporation.