Carrier arrangement for use in a method for simultaneously repairing a plurality of components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10086481-B2
Application number	US-201514940886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2015
Priority date	Nov 21, 2014
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A carrier arrangement ( 30 ) comprises a carrier element ( 34 ) having a carrier surface ( 36 ) and a plurality of supporting elements ( 38 ) attached to the carrier element ( 34 ), wherein each supporting element ( 38 ) has a supporting surface ( 40 ) extending from the carrier surface ( 36 ) of the carrier element ( 34 ) and being adapted to interact with a first surface ( 42 ) of a component ( 32 ) to be repaired. The carrier arrangement ( 30 ) further comprises a plurality of clamping elements ( 44 ), wherein at least a part of the clamping elements ( 44 ) are releasably attachable to the carrier element ( 34 ) in such a manner that a clamping surface ( 46 ) of the clamping elements ( 44 ), which is adapted to interact with a second surface ( 48 ) of a component ( 32 ) to be repaired, faces the supporting surface ( 40 ) of an associated supporting element ( 38 ) so as to sandwich the component ( 32 ) to be repaired therebetween in such a manner that the component ( 32 ) is fixed to the carrier element ( 34 ) with a repair site ( 50 ) of the component ( 32 ) facing away from the carrier surface ( 36 ) of the carrier element ( 34 ). A fastening device ( 72 ) of the carrier arrangement ( 30 ) is adapted to interact with a corresponding fastening device ( 74 ) of an apparatus ( 10 ) for repairing components ( 32 ) by selectively irradiating layers of a raw material powder applied to the repair sites ( 50 ) of the components ( 32 ) with electromagnetic or particle radiation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A carrier arrangement comprising:
a carrier element having a carrier surface,
a plurality of supporting elements attached to the carrier element, wherein each supporting element has a supporting surface extending from the carrier surface of the carrier element and being adapted to interact with a first surface of a component to be repaired,
a plurality of clamping elements, wherein at least a part of the clamping elements are releasably attachable to the carrier element in such a manner that a clamping surface of the clamping elements, which is adapted to interact with a second surface of a component to be repaired, faces the supporting surface of an associated supporting element so as to sandwich the component to be repaired therebetween in such a manner that the component is fixed to the carrier element with a repair site of the component facing away from the carrier surface of the carrier element, and
a fastening device adapted to interact with a corresponding fastening device of an apparatus for repairing components by selectively irradiating layers of a raw material powder applied to the repair sites of the components with electromagnetic or particle radiation.

2. The carrier arrangement according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fastening device is adapted to also interact with a corresponding fastening device of a machining tool for machining the repair sites of the components to be repaired.

3. The carrier arrangement according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least a part of the supporting elements are attached to the carrier element in a row pattern, and wherein at least a part of the clamping elements are releasably attachable to respective supporting elements arranged in a first row of the row pattern in such a manner that their clamping surfaces face the supporting surfaces of their associated supporting elements which are arranged in an adjacent row of the row pattern.

4. The carrier arrangement according to claim 3 ,
wherein at least a part of the clamping elements are releasably attachable to respective supporting elements by means of an attaching device, and wherein at least a part of the clamping element comprise a slanted surface adapted to interact with a surface formed on a supporting element in order to urge the clamping surface of the clamping element toward the supporting surface of the associated supporting element when the attaching device is fastened.

5. The carrier arrangement according to claim 4 ,
wherein the attaching device is adapted to extend through a bore formed in the clamping element and to engage with a thread provided in the supporting element.

6. The carrier arrangement according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a first end element attached to the carrier element in a first edge region thereof and having at least one supporting surface extending from the carrier surface of the carrier element and being adapted to interact with a first surface of a component to be repaired.

7. The carrier arrangement according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a second end element attached to the carrier element in a second edge region thereof and being configured to allow at least one clamping element to be releasably attached thereon in such a manner that its clamping surface faces the supporting surface of its associated supporting element.

8. The carrier arrangement according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least a part of the supporting elements comprises a heating element adapted to heat the supporting surface of the supporting elements.

9. The carrier arrangement according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first end element comprises a heating element adapted to heat the first end element.

10. A method for repairing a plurality of components, the method comprising the following steps:
arranging the components to be repaired on a carrier element of a carrier arrangement in such a manner that a first surface of at least a part of the components interact with a supporting surface of a supporting element which extends from a carrier surface of the carrier element,
attaching a plurality of clamping elements to the carrier element in such a manner that a clamping surface of each clamping element interacts with a second surface of a component to be repaired so as to sandwich the component between the clamping surface of the clamping element and the supporting surface of an associated supporting element and to thereby fix the component to the carrier element with a repair site of the component facing away from the carrier surface of the carrier element,
fastening the carrier arrangement to an apparatus for repairing components by selectively irradiating layers of a raw material powder applied to the repair sites of the components with electromagnetic or particle radiation, and
repairing the components by selectively irradiating layers of a raw material powder applied to the repair sites of the components with electromagnetic or particle radiation.

11. The method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the carrier arrangement with the components to be repaired fixed thereto, prior to being fastened to the apparatus for repairing components by irradiating layers of a raw material powder applied to the repair sites of the components with electromagnetic or particle radiation, is fastened to a machining tool for machining the repair sites of the components.

12. The method according to claim 10 ,
wherein at least a part of the supporting elements are attached to the carrier element in a row pattern, and wherein at least a part of the clamping elements are releasably attached to respective supporting elements arranged in a first row of the row pattern in such a manner that their clamping surfaces face the supporting surfaces of their associated supporting elements which are arranged in an adjacent row of the row pattern.

13. The method according to claim 12 ,
wherein at least a part of the clamping elements are releasably attached to respective supporting elements by means of an attaching device, and wherein at least a part of the clamping elements comprise a slanted surface which interacts with a surface formed on a supporting element in order to urge the clamping surface of the clamping element toward the supporting surface of the associated supporting element when the attaching device is fastened.

14. The method according to claim 10 ,
wherein at least one component to be repaired is arranged on the carrier element of the carrier arrangement in such a manner that its first surface interacts with a supporting surface of a first end element attached to the carrier element in a first edge region thereof which extends from the carrier surface of the carrier element.

15. The method according to claim 10 ,
wherein at least one clamping element is attached to a second end element attached to the carrier element in a second edge region thereof in such a manner that its clamping surface faces the supporting surface of its associated supporting element.

16. The method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the supporting surface of at least a part of the supporting elements is heated.

17. The method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the first end element is heated.

18. System for repairing a plurality of components, the system comprising:
a carrier arrangement according to claim 1 , and
an apparatus for repairing components by selectively irradiating layers of a raw material powder applied to the repair sites of the components with electromagnetic or particle radiation, the apparatus comprising:
a corresponding fastening device adapted

Assignees

• SLM Solutions Group AG

Inventors

• Krol Toni Adam
• Gieser Eduard
• Schwarze Dieter

Classifications

• B23P6/002 Primary

  Repairing turbine components, e.g. moving or stationary blades, rotors, (B23P6/045 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23K37/0443 Primary

  Jigs · CPC title

• B22F12/49

  Scanners · CPC title

• B22F12/44

  characterised by the configuration of the radiation means · CPC title

• B22F12/30

  Platforms or substrates · CPC title