Process for complete cladding of metal parts of aircraft turbojets, and complete protection tool for implementing the process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10610967-B2
Application number	US-201314405945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2013
Priority date	Jun 6, 2012
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

A process for cladding a metal part of an aircraft turbojet, including a plurality of metal portions, using a nozzle for emitting a laser beam, the process including positioning the metal part to be cladded on a turntable; positioning a cover on the turntable; positioning the nozzle in an aperture present in the cover; introducing an inert gas under the cover; and cladding a first portion of the metal part by carrying out operations of: spraying metal powders; emitting the laser beam; and moving the nozzle relative to the first metal portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for cladding a metal part of an aircraft turbojet, said metal part comprising a plurality of metal portions to be cladded, said process using a nozzle for emitting a laser beam or an electron beam for melting a sprayed powder thus cladding said metal portions to be cladded, said process comprising:
positioning the metal part comprising the plurality of metal portions to be cladded on a turntable;
positioning a lid on the turntable, all of said metal part being positioned under said lid;
inserting the nozzle into an opening present in the lid;
injecting an inert gas under the lid;
cladding a first portion of the plurality of metal portions of the metal part by performing a metallic powder spray operation, a laser beam emission operation to clad said first metal portion, and a relative displacement operation of the nozzle relative to said first metal portion following a predetermined cladding trajectory,
fitting a telescopic tray into the opening present in the lid, the telescopic tray covering part of the opening and having an orifice inside which the nozzle is inserted, said orifice being smaller than the opening,
wherein performing said relative displacement operation comprises moving said nozzle relative to said opening and within said opening,
wherein the method further comprises fixing the lid onto the turntable in a sealed manner before injecting the inert gas, and
wherein a clearance between 1 and 10 mm is maintained all around the nozzle between the nozzle and the orifice when said nozzle extends through the orifice, said clearance allowing gas present under the lid to escape via said clearance.

2. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising, after the cladding of the first metal portion:
rotating the turntable relative to the opening in the lid until a second metal portion among the plurality of metal portions to be cladded is facing the nozzle;
cladding the second metal portion of the metal part.

3. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising performing a feeling operation of the metal portions to be cladded to determine the cladding trajectories of the nozzle, after the metal part comprising the plurality of metal portions to be cladded has been put into position on a turntable.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said telescopic tray is a two-dimensional telescopic tray that includes a plurality of sliding plates that define the orifice between them, the sliding plates covering part of the opening and being movable to displace a position of the orifice within the opening.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein during said cladding:
the metal part remains positioned under said lid, and
the nozzle is moved relative to said opening present in the lid and within said opening using the telescopic tray that is fitted in said opening so that the telescopic tray closes off the opening except at the orifice formed by sliding plates of the telescopic tray, said orifice being movable within said opening and said nozzle being inserted through said orifice.

6. The process according to claim 5 , further comprising, during said cladding, moving the nozzle relative to the orifice.

7. The process according to claim 5 , wherein, during said cladding, said inert gas leaks through said clearance.

8. A tool for implementing a process for cladding metal portions of a metal part for an aircraft turbojet, said cladding being done using a laser generated by a nozzle melting a powder to clad said metal portions, the tool comprising:
a turntable on which the metal part is placed;
a lid placed on the turntable covering the entire metal part placed on the turntable, said lid having an opening inside which the nozzle is inserted for the cladding operations;
a gas supply arranged to supply an inert gas under the lid,
a removable fastener between the turntable and the lid, the removable fastener adapted to fix the lid onto the turntable in a sealed manner, and
a telescopic tray installed at the opening in the lid, said telescopic tray covering part of the opening and having an orifice in which the nozzle is inserted, said orifice being smaller than the opening,
wherein said nozzle is constructed to be movable relative to said opening and within said opening following a predetermined cladding trajectory, and
wherein a clearance between 1 and 10 mm is maintained all around the nozzle between the nozzle and the orifice when said nozzle extends through the orifice, said clearance allowing gas present under the lid to escape via said clearance.

9. The tool according to claim 8 , wherein the telescopic tray is a two-dimensional telescopic tray.

10. The tool according to claim 8 , comprising a hose at the orifice in the telescopic tray.

11. The tool according to claim 8 , comprising a seal between the turntable and the lid.

12. The tool according to claim 8 , wherein the lid or the turntable has an injector for injecting a neutral gas.

13. The tool according to claim 12 , wherein a flow of the neutral gas supplied by the injector is between five and fifty litres per minute.

14. The tool according to claim 8 , wherein said telescopic tray is a two-dimensional telescopic tray that includes a plurality of sliding plates that define the orifice between them, the sliding plates covering part of the opening and being movable to displace a position of the orifice within the opening.

15. The tool according to claim 8 , wherein the telescopic tray closes off the opening except at the orifice formed by sliding plates of the telescopic tray, said orifice being movable within said opening and said nozzle being inserted through said orifice.

Assignees

• Safran Aircraft Engines

Inventors

• Mottin Jean-Baptiste

Classifications

• B23K26/0823

  Devices involving rotation of the workpiece · CPC title

• B23P6/00

  Restoring or reconditioning objects (straightening or restoring form of sheet metal, metal rods, metal tubes, metal profiles, or specific articles made therefrom B21D1/00, B21D3/00; repairing defective or damaged objects by casting techniques B22D19/10) · CPC title

• B23K35/0244

  Powders, particles or spheres; Preforms made therefrom · CPC title

• B23K26/34 Primary

  Laser welding for purposes other than joining · CPC title

• B23K2103/14

  Titanium or alloys thereof · CPC title