3D Printing Casting Cores for Aircraft and Industrial Gas Turbines

摘要

Lithography-based manufacturing enables printing of complex core geometries not possible by injection molding; 3D Printing accelerates product development cycle through rapid-prototyping; Increased build volume size and serial printer designs enable the transition to core production using 3D-printing. As gas turbine inlet temperatures continue to rise, in the quest for more thrust and greater efficiency, the cooling of turbine blades to prevent them from melting presents a major challenge to both designers and manufacturers. The internal passageways and cavities within the blades that allow cooling air to circulate become more complex and dimensionally critical. Turbine blades are traditionally manufactured by investment casting, beginning with a ceramic core to form the internal cooling structure. New designs for multivane, complex, narrow feature cores push the limits of mold and tooling based processes. Additive manufacturing offers a tool-free solution for increased complexity from prototyping to production.